


Bitter Echo

by Dragon_MoonX



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, F/M, Rape, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-04-22 00:53:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 151
Words: 40,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14297214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_MoonX/pseuds/Dragon_MoonX
Summary: After a particularly brutal punishment, Bellatrix suffers a complete mental breakdown. As he tries to put her broken mind back together, Voldemort discovers that her madness and sadistic tendencies are rooted in abuse.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published in 2008 by an author who no longer wishes to be associated with this fanfiction. I have been given permission by the author to publish it on their behalf.
> 
> As stated in the original author notes, this fic is going to be told in first person, by multiple characters. It should be obvious who's talking when, but for clarity's sake I will post the narrator's name for each chapter under the chapter title in parentheses.

\-- Bitter Echo --

 _"If I could change anything then I would change everything. These bitter days shall remain."_  - Nine Days, "Bitter"

 _"I need to let go let go let go let go of this pride_  
_Until this echo echo echo echo in my mind_  
 _Until this echo echo echo echo can subside."_  -Trapt, "Echo"

Prologue  
( _Voldemort_ )

I always knew that something was wrong, that she wasn't all there. But I never stopped to think about how or why she had come to be the way she was. She was broken when she came to me.

Only now do I wish I had wondered. Only now do I wish I had tried to understand. Only now do I wish I had tried to heal her fractured mind.

Because I have shattered her completely.


	2. Chapter 2

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 1: You Fail Hard  
 _(Lucius)_

"YOU'RE FAILURES!" the Dark Lord screams. I can hardly blame him for being furious. Two missions have ended in failure this night. "You, Lucius." I cringe when he says my name. "And you, Rodolphus." Out of the corner of my eye I see my brother-in-law flinch beside me. Our failures have been many and often as of late. "Will you two never  _learn_?"

The Dark Lord raises his wand. Then, seeming to think better of it, he lowers it again and says thoughtfully, "No. The usual punishments just won't do. They seem to have no effect on either of you. Instead, tonight I shall punish your wives for your failures."

Bellatrix has not yet returned from her own mission. I hope, for her sake as well as Narcissa's, that her mission is successful.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it's not the sweet caring Rodolphus I usually write that we all love.

Chapter 2: Stupidity  
_(Rodolphus)_

"My wife isn't here," I state, only realizing how stupid is to say this after it's already too late to stop myself. I'm just glad my body remembered to automatically convert the words  _that bitch_  to  _my wife_  on the way from my brain to my mouth. Who knows what he'd do to me if he thought that punishing her wouldn't be enough to teach me a lesson...

"Bella is on her way," the Dark Lord informs me with raised eyebrows, his expression unreadable.

I wonder briefly if I am going to end up getting tortured myself tonight anyway, but the Dark Lord doesn't seem to be any angrier than before, so I'm guessing that her mission was a success. Not that I'd want him to be any angrier. I just wish that bitch would fail when I fail. Cause if she succeeds when I fail that just makes me look worse.


	4. Chapter 4

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 3: Waiting  
 _(Narcissa)_

I wait nervously at the Dark Lord's side. I've been called into the Death Eaters' meeting and been informed that I will be punished for my husband's failure. We are only waiting for my sister to join us and then the punishment will begin.

I feel sick to my stomach.

I look over at Lucius. His gaze locks with mine. In his eyes I see worry and apprehension and...  _tears_? The Dark Lord's punishment is working already. I have never seen my husband look so sorry about anything in his life.

Rodolphus doesn't look particularly concerned.

The door bangs open and Bella strides in with a triumphant grin on her face and a small cut over her right eye.

Her grin fades as the Dark Lord grabs her roughly by the wrist and tells her that she is going to be punished for her husband's mistakes.


	5. Chapter 5

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 4: Punishment  
 _(Voldemort)_

I know that Bella's mission was successful. I expected as much from her. It isn't often that she fails me. Her punishment tonight will be special. It will be as much a reward for her as it is a punishment for her husband.

I lead her to my room. Narcissa follows obediently behind us.

I close the door with a casual flick of my wand and release my hold on Bella's wrist.

Before I have a chance to explain what I am going to do with her, Bella does something that I would not have expected from her. Something that infuriates me.

She pleads for mercy for her sister.

I do not understand why she does this or why the desperation in her voice sparks an unreasonable fury within me.

"You want your sister's punishment in addition to your own?" I hiss. "Fine, then." I turn my wand on her. " _Crucio_."

She shrieks and falls to the ground. After a few long moments I lift the curse. This, honestly, was as much as I'd planned for Narcissa. She's a prissy little thing, not used to being hit with curses. Just this much should have been enough to make Lucius seek to correct his mistakes.

But I'm not thinking about Narcissa and Lucius right now. Maybe somewhere in the back of my mind I am, but my immediate thoughts are consumed with Bellatrix. And anger.

Even though it is done in anger, even though I am much rougher with her than I'd initially intended, I do not expect her to fight me. I do not expect her to  _cry_.

But she does.


	6. Chapter 6

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 5: Can't Look Now  
 _(Narcissa)_

I can't watch. I cower in a corner of the room, terrified, while the Dark Lord tortures my sister.  _Punishement_  he calls it. But that word is too tame for what he is doing to her. It is torture. It is cruelty. It is abuse. It is violation. It is  _rape_.

I keep my eyes tightly closed so I don't have to see what is happening to Bella. But even when I cover my ears I can't shut out the sound of her screams.

I wish she had not tried to protect me. I wish there was something I could do to protect her. To help her. To save her from this. But I know that there isn't. All I can do is let her keep some shred of diginity by not watching.

And cry.

Hours pass before her screams finally fade and die. I lift my head and open my eyes.

I shut them again immediately. Her punishment has not ended. She has lost her voice.


	7. Chapter 7

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 6: Too Far Gone  
 _(Bellatrix)_

Finally, finally, my punishment ends. My voice is gone. My tears are gone. I could not cry any more even if I wanted to.

My body's instinct is to collapse but I drag myself to feet and remain standing by sheer force of will. I can move, but not very well. My sister helps me dress. She does not look at me as we exit the Dark Lord's room together.

Lucius is waiting outside the room. Narcissa throws herself into her husband's arms and presses her face to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He rubs her back and strokes her hair and promises her that he will do better in the future, that he will do everything he can to protect her.

He sees me looking and I turn away.

I can't help thinking it must be nice, a relationship like that. But I don't waste time wishing for what I can't have. I know what I'm going home to.

I make it to the next hallway - hopefully out of earshot of the loving couple - before I fall to my hands and knees and cough up white liquid.

Once my stomach is empty I pull myself to my feet again and manage to walk the rest of the way to my room, where I collapse just inside the door.

I don't even feel the blows when they come. I am too far gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that white liquid she coughed up in chapter 6 is exactly what you thought it was.

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 7: Regrets  
 _(Lucius)_

A week has passed since then. Rodolphus has been gone on a new mission for the last five days. Bellatrix still hasn't shown her face at a single meeting since the night of her punishment.

I am starting to wonder if he killed her.

 _No_. I push that thought aside. Besides, if she were dead the Dark Lord would know of it and he would very likely be angry.

I am worried about her, though. Narcissa tries to pretend she doesn't know what's going on, but I know she knows. I'm sure she must be worried about her sister, too. Bellatrix doesn't usually stay away this long, even if something is broken. Her obsession with the Dark Lord is too strong for that.

I can't help wondering what he thinks of the situation. Yes, Bellatrix usually stays away - sulking and licking her wounds - after she is punished. But usually only for a day or two. He must be beginning to suspect that something is wrong by now.

Or am I the only one who is worried? Was the punishment really so harsh that he believes she would stay away from him even this long? Is it only because of what I know that I even suspect anything is wrong? Well, more wrong than normal, anyway...

That night, when Narcissa and Bellatrix came out of the Dark Lord's room, I saw her looking at me. She looked so hurt, so lost, so broken. In that moment I considered taking her into my arms, not letting her go back to her own room and the hell that was waiting for her. Then she turned and walked away.

If she doesn't show up this evening then I am going to go and check on her.


	9. Chapter 9

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 8: Less than Nothing  
 _(Bellatrix)_

_I don't know whether I fell asleep or passed out._

_All I know is that when I woke up it was night again. I'd almost drowned in my own blood._

_I spent the next few days slipping in and out of consciousness._

When I wake up -  _really_  wake up, regain some sense of reality - I don't know how much time has passed. My body feels weak but seems to have numbed itself to the pain. That, or someone healed me while I was unconscious.

I am in Lucius's arms. He and Narcissa are trying to make me eat. I don't really want to.

Briefly I wonder how long I've gone without food, or if they've been force-feeding me the whole time. The thought slips away almost as quickly as it's formed. I can't find the energy to actually care.

I've endured everything up until now, thinking -  _hoping_  - that my life means something to someone.

But it doesn't. My success became worthless in the shadow of my husband's failure. In my lord's eyes, I am nothing. I am less than nothing.

I swallow whatever it is my sister is trying to feed me. Seconds later it is on its way back up, as if my body is rejecting any attempt to go on living.


	10. Chapter 10

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 9: Teeth  
 _(Voldemort)_

Something is wrong. I have not seen her once since then. She doesn't usually stay away this long. I keep telling myself that she will come back soon. That she only needs a few more days.

A month has passed in this manner.

 _Something is wrong_.

I knew. I knew, that night, that something was wrong. I knew when she resisted me. I knew when she  _cried._ I knew something was wrong, yet I could not control my rage.

Something is wrong. A creeping feeling of guilt steals over me every time I stare into the doorway and realize that she is not going to show up today, either. I push it away, telling myself that she only needs more time.

I have to stop lying to myself. I have to face what I've done. If she will not come to me then I will have to go to her.

When I enter Bella's room, I am assaulted by the stench of vomit and rotten blood.

There is no one in the room. The bed doesn't look like it's been slept in recently. There are a few small drops of blood spotting the floor, but the room seems otherwise clean.

My gaze slides to the door of the adjoining bathroom.

Against my better judgment, I enter. The mirror and the walls inside the shower are streaked with blood. There is what can only be described as a pile of congealed blood - and other less identifiable liquids - rotting in the sink. On the counter beside the sink is more blood, flecked with lumps of something white. Mold, possibly?

I look closer.

The white things... are teeth.


	11. Chapter 11

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 10: Drifting  
 _(Bellatrix)_

_I am drifting, lost in my memories, completely disconnected from reality. I do not know what is happening to my body. My sister and her husband are probably still taking care of me. I wish I still had my voice. I wish I could tell them to go away and just let me die._


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, ch 10 was tiny, but that's the way it needed to be. That's why I'm posting this chapter at the same time.
> 
> Also, I don't think I made it clear in the story itself but this takes place sometime between books 6 & 7, when the Death Eaters are camped out at Malfoy Manor.

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 11: Lost  
( _Voldemort_ )

I enter the master bedroom without knocking. Who needs to manners when you're the Dark Lord?

Bella is here, as I thought she would be. It seems my assumption that Lucius and Narcissa would be taking care of her was correct.

I can't say that I am shocked by her condition, because I am not. Although she is worse than I thought she would be.

She lies curled on her side in the middle of the bed. She looks terrible. She is beyond thin - practically skeletal. She shivers even though she is covered with blankets. She has lost so much weight that her body can no longer retain heat. The cut over her eye has not healed. What is visible of her flesh is covered with bruises that I did not give her. Her breathe comes in shallow gasps. Her eyes are open but she seems unaware of anything going on around her.

Her mind is consumed by the bitter echo of her memories.

Narcissa is sitting on the bed beside her. Lucius is across the room, standing by the dresser. They are are both still, staring. Waiting for me to make a move.

"What happened to her?" I ask.

"She-" Narcissa starts, but Lucius silences her with a sharp look.

"Rodolphus beat the shit out of her, that's what happened."

Rodolphus is abusive. The realization hits me like the proverbial ton of bricks.

She's survived, endured, and kept her dark secret from me - from  _everyone_  - all these years... until now.

I am the one who broke the last link holding her fragmented mind together. I've shattered her completely.

And if I do not do something about it, she will die.


	13. Chapter 13

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 12: Meaningless Lies  
 _(Narcissa)_

Lucius is angry. He feels responsible for Bella's condition, because he knew... He figured it out, years ago. My sister's secret. I knew too, but when I tried to talk to her about it, she lied. When I confronted her about the lies, she got angry and still denied that anything of the sort was happening. There was nothing else I could do. So I stopped asking. So I lied for her. And we stayed close. I thought it was for the best.

Most people had no idea what was going on with her and her husband, and still don't. But Lucius figured it out. My lies told him more than they hid.

At first it was only once in while. But after the first few years, when the injuries got harder to hide, she joined the Death Eaters. She volunteered for dangerous missions and constantly picked fights, concealing not the injuries themselves but rather their  _source_.

Lucius wanted to help her. But because of my lies, he couldn't tell anyone. Would my parents believe him if he told them, when Bella and I would both lie about it and tell them nothing was wrong? Of course not...

And he could not help her directly - by getting her out of there or by confronting Rodolphus - without making it look like he was having an affair with her.

His hands were tied. Her lies and my lies prevented him from being able to help her.

Even now, when she is like this, I would have continued to lie for her.

But Lucius is not willing to give up the only chance he has left to save her.

And so this time I do what I should have done before.

I stay quiet and let my husband speak.

"Rodolphus beat the shit out of her, that's what happened," he tells the Dark Lord. He goes on to explain about her condition, how she throws up anything we feed her, how her wounds won't heal on their own. We've done what we can for her, but we aren't healers. Her body isn't strong enough to repair itself. She is barely alive.

And then the Dark Lord does what I would not have expected of him.

Wordlessly he sits beside me on the edge of the bed and takes Bella into his arms, and begins to examine her wounds.


	14. Chapter 14

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 13: Wounds  
 _(Voldemort)_

First, I close the cut over her eye. It is the easiest of her wounds to take care of. The internal damage, the bones, and the missing teeth will be the hardest to fix.

Next I take care of the bruises. They aren't too difficult to heal, but there are many, all over her body. There are many small white scars on her right wrist. I take note of their presence but do not take action. They are old, and scar tissue is difficult to heal, much more so than fresh wounds. For a moment I wonder why tehy are only present on the right, if it was a suicide attempt. And then I realize. The Mark. She couldn't cut across it without me feeling it. So no cuts on her left wrist...

I move on to her ribs. I can tell that they have been broken many times before. Out of the corner of my eye I see Narcissa flinch at the grinding sound as I push the bones into place.

Some internal bleeding, a damaged kidney. I am beginning to feel the strain of using so many difficult spells at once. But I can't stop now.

Just the missing teeth are left to be healed. I hold her against my chest with her head resting on my shoulder. I slide my finger into her mouth, feeling for the exact places where her teeth are missing or broken.

She coughs and chokes. I quickly pull my hand away.


	15. Chapter 15

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 14: Taste  
 _(Bellatrix)_

The taste of his skin makes me retch.

I am dragged back to reality. I lean over the edge of the bed. Narcissa isn't quick enough with the bucket. Stomach acid splatters the carpet. There is nothing left for me to throw up but I continue to dry heave painfully. My throat burns.

Memories of that night crowd my mind. I try to push them away. It is no use.

_Him, forcing me to open my mouth, forcing me to..._

_Later, staggering to the bathroom, spitting out the mouthful of blood I almost choked on and seeing six, seven, **eight**  of my teeth on the side of the sink..._

The dry heaves have stopped, but now I am panicking, hyperventilating.

He pulls me into his arms and holds me against him.

He tells me to calm down. Does he think I'm not trying already?  _I can't_.

I feel a slight pressure on the top of my head and it takes me a moment to realize that he kissed me.  _He kissed me, he kissed me, he kissed me_.

And then he says, quietly, so only I can hear, "Bella, I never would have done that to you if I'd know that he was abusive."

And these words make all the difference in the world.


	16. Chapter 16

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 15: Ginger Tea  
 _(Voldemort)_

Her breathing calms and her body relaxes into mine. I sigh.

"I'll try again later," I say. I am too worn out from the other healings to attempt something this difficult, if that's the way she's going to react every time. The creeping feeling of guilt steals over me once more. I know exactly what it was that caused her to react that way to the taste of my skin...

"My lord," Narcissa says nervously. I look up. "Is there anything that can be done about..." Her voice trails off and her eyes flick to the fresh mess on the carpet.

She wants to know if there is anything that can be done about Bella's vomiting problem, seeing as how it wasn't caused by an actual injury and can't be healed...

"Ginger tea," I answer.

Lucius frowns. "I know that ginger tea is used to help with morning sickness, but do you really think that it will help in this situation?" he asks skeptically.

"Of course," I reply. "What she has  _is_  morning sickness."

In my arms, Bella goes still. I know she heard what I said and it has obviously upset her, because she has forcibly wrenched her mind away from reality once more, drowning her present sorrows in a sea of memories.

Lucius's jaw drops.

"Bellatrix... is pregnant?"

"Yes. With my child." I found out when I was examining her injuries earlier.

"Yours, my lord?" Lucius asks, sounding shocked. It seems that Narcissa did not share the details of that fateful night with him.

"Yes, Lucius," I say wearily. "Mine." I go on to inform him of the exact date of conception. "Don't look at me that way!" I snap. "I am not proud of what I've done to her, but what's done is done and the only thing that any of us can do about it now is deal with the consequences."


	17. Chapter 17

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 16: Taking Care  
 _(Bellatrix)_

It is the middle of the night. I have been dragged back to reality once again by the physical needs of my body. I can't do anything about it without someone to help me. Even though my injuries have been healed, my body is still so weak that I can hardly move.

"Bella?"

My lord's voice is soft in the darkness. I guess he knows that I'm awake. Really awake, metnally aware of my surroundings. He is lying beside me on the bed, his arm draped lightly around my waist. I don't know why he has decided to take care of me. I don't like having him see me like this.

I shift uncomfortably.

"What is it? Do you need something?"

This is so frustrating. My voice still has not returned. How can I tell him anything when I can't  _speak_?

My hands clutch at the front of his robes, letting him know that yes, I do need something. But I don't have a way to communicate what my exact needs are.

I can vaguely remember being made to drink a glass of water earlier and actually being able to keep it down, for once. I haven't dealt with this problem before, because everything always came back up...

 _Please figure out that it was the glass of water_ , I pray silently. A shudder ripples through my body and I change my prayer.  _Please, please figure it out before I piss myself..._  If that happened- I don't even want to think about it.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

 _Oh, thank God, he **did**  figure it out_.

I press my face against his shoulder and nod.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, God, this chapter was so hard to get done. I felt so awkward and embarassed when I was writing it, almost like I was right there in the bathroom with them...

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 17: Awkward Task  
 _(Voldemort)_

I lift her into my arms and carry her to the bathroom. I don't know how much she can manage on her own or how much she will need me to do for her. This is going to be awkward.

"Bella," I say softly, keeping my voice even. I can't let her know how much this bothers me. She needs my help right now. I can't let something as trivial as _embarassment_  stop me from taking care of her. "Do you need me to help you with your clothes?" I ask, hoping that she will not.

She nods. Tears stream down her cheeks. This may be embarassing for me, but it is  _humiliating_  for her.

I shouldn't be the one doing this.

"I am going to go and get Narcissa, and she can help you with this," I say, but she is shaking her head.

She looks at me with pleading eyes. The time it would take to fetch her sister here - she can't wait that long.

Awkwardly, I push her skirt up over her hips and remove her panties.

I turn my back while she actually uses the toilet, giving her what little privacy I can in this situation.

When she is finished, she takes my hand. Apparently she has not recovered enough fine motor function to be able to clean herself up...

I feel like I am molesting her. She obviously isn't comfortable with it, either. But we get through it.

It is only after our hands are washed and I am about to lift her into my arms again that I remember her panties - the fact that she isn't wearing them anymore.

I ask her if she wants to put them back on, but she shakes her head. It will be easier next time if we don't have to go through that part of it.


	19. Chapter 19

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 18: Stay With Me  
 _(Bellatrix)_

We are back in bed. I am still crying. I can't stop the tears. I feel so frustrated right now.

I know he feels uncomfortable after what just happened, after what he had to do, but I can't do anything for myself. I can barely move.

He doesn't understand that, that night, it was not the physical pain that hurt me. That he's already repaired the small part of my heart that he broke. That it isn't his fault that I am like this now. If only I still had my voice, I could tell him that it's alright, that I need him.

I need him.

 _You're the reson I'm fighting so hard to stay alive_ , I scream in my mind.  _You, and the baby_.

But thinking about the baby brings back painful memories - not all of them recent - and I can't stand it. I start to slip away into a safer place in my mind.

"Don't."

His voice pulls me back.

His hand cups my cheek and he turns my face so that he is looking into my eyes.

"Don't," he says again. "Bella, stay with me. Here, in the real world," he pleads.

I don't want to. But my lord is asking me.

I nod. His tense expression relaxes slightly. His fingers brush my face lightly, wiping away my tears.

"Can you just go to sleep normally?" he asks.

At this point, I'm not really sure. I might slide from dreams into the deeper recesses of my mind while I'm asleep, without actually trying.

But I nod. I'll try. For him, I will try.

I still need another person's body heat to keep me warm. If they left me alone with just the blankets, in a single night I would freeze to death.

I snuggle closer to him, pressing my face against his chest. He pulls the blanket up around my shoulders and keeps his arm there, resting lightly across my back.

I can do this. I can stay here.

_As long as you're here with me._


	20. Chapter 20

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 19: Nightmare Memory  
 _(Voldemort)_

I can tell that she is lying. She doesn't think she can stop herself from getting lost in her own mind when she goes to sleep.

Instead of closing my mind as I normally would, I keep it open to hers as we both drift off...

I wake up gasping for breath.

Weak rays of sunlight shine throught the crack in the curtains. It is early morning.

What I just saw was horrifying. I look down at Bella. She is also awake and she is clinging to me, hard. She looks up at me, eyes wide. She knows that I saw it.

"How old were you when that happened?" I ask, my voice a sleep-roughened whisper. "Seventeen, eighteen?"

She presses her face against my shoulder and nods.

She was only eighteen when he...  _Oh, God_. I can hardly stand to think about it.

"And the second time... that was right before you joined the Death Eaters, when you were twenty-one?"

Again she nods.

And I thought my father was bad.

I feel something warm and wet sliding down my neck. She is crying. My arms tighten around her.

"You're going to be alright," I tell her. "I'll never let him hurt you again."

I have always despised my father, from the moment I learned the story of my birth. I thought that a father who would abandon his pregnant wife and unborn child was the ultimate evil. I never thought that there was anything worse than that.

I never thought that there could be a man who would kill his own unborn child, much less that such a man would be a pureblooded wizard.


	21. Chapter 21

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 20: Morning  
 _(Narcissa)_

I feel like I'm more tired now than I was when I went to sleep last night. It's barely dawn and I'm in the kitchen, making breakfast. Ginger tea and dry toast for my sister - that's about all she can handle right now. Scrambled eggs and bacon for the Dark Lord.

I almost forget to make any food for myself until Lucius stumbles into the kitchen, still half-asleep and yawning, and asks if I made anything for him.

"Shit," I curse under my breath. I knew I was forgetting something.

"Nevermind. Don't worry about it," Lucius says. He attempts to smile reassuringly, but it is interrupted by another yawn. He gets out a box of cookies from the cupboard and takes two for himself and hands me one.

I accept it gratefully, and give him a quick kiss. Looking after my sister - on top of everything else we have to do - has had us both exhausted lately. We don't even get to sleep in our own bedroom anymore, because the Dark Lord is the one who always takes care of Bella during the night.

"I'll see you in few hours," I tell my husband. I won't see him again until after the morning meeting.

Then I make my way to the master bedroom with the breakfast tray.

When I enter the room, they are sitting up in bed. Bella is curled up in the Dark Lord's lap, clinging to him, her fingers fisted in the fabric of his robes. Her shoulders shake with silent sobs. His arms are draped lightly around her and he seems to be at a loss as for what to do.

He looks up when I come in.

"What happened?" I ask, immediately suspicious. I can't help it. I do not trust him with her.

"Nothing," he answers. "Bad memories."

I can see that he sees I am still suspicious.

"I think she is more upset that I saw them, than about the contents of the memories themselves."


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had trouble deciding who should narrate this chapter, Bella or Voldemort. As you can see, I picked Bella. But it was a tough choice.

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 21: Trust  
 _(Bellatrix)_

Slowly, painfully, I bring my arms up and wrap them around his neck. I lift my head and kiss his cheek.

This is not for him. It is a show. It is for Narcissa, so that she can see that nothing is wrong, that her suspicions are unfounded.

"What? Bella, no..." Narcissa stutters. "How can you  _trust_  him?"

My means of communication are severely limited, and I know she does not expect me to answer. Glaring at her over my shoulder, I turn out my left wrist.

My sister stares at the Mark like she's never seen it before. Her expression makes it clear that she doesn't understand.

 _Yes, it's as simple as that._  I want to scream. I want to be able to explain in words. I want to scream and shout and cry out loud, and be able to tell my sister about all the things she was always too afraid and too ashamed to ask me about even though she knew they were happening.

And then it really hits me. I want to be able to tell my sister about all the things she was always too afraid and too ashamed to ask me about even though she knew they were happening. I honestly want to.

"She's obviously forgiven me." My lord's voice is cold as he addresses my sister. "Why can't you?"

"She's been in an abusive relationship since she was fourteen years old!" Narcissa snaps. "She has no real sense of what is and isn't forgiveable!"

She's wrong. She's assuming that it was abusive from the beginning.

"For God's sake," he snaps back. "I am not going to hurt her!"

" _You already have!_ "

" _And unlike her husband, I learn from my mistakes!_ "

The argument ends abruptly when Lucius enters the room.

"Please," my brother-in-law says with a pained expression, "Keep your voices down if you don't want everyone to find out what's going on."


	23. Chapter 23

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 22: Unresolved Tension  
 _(Voldemort)_

From the way that Bella is clinging to me, it's obvious that she doesn't want to be left alone with her sister right now. There is something about Narcissa's presence that always puts her on edge, but today it seems the feeling is stronger than normal.

 _Because of the fight?_  I wonder.  _Because_   _Narcissa does not trust me?_

I feel Bella's lips moving against my neck.  _Please don't leave me_ , she whispers soundlessly, over and over.

"Lucius, conduct the morning meeting without me," I order.

Lucius looks surprised, but quickly rearranges his expression into one of subservient compliance.

"The others are sure to question your absence, my lord. What shall I tell them?" he asks, all business. No longer the concerned keeper of family secrets, now fulfilling his role as a servant of the Dark Lord.

"There was a matter I had to attend to personally," I reply with a smirk. It's not even a lie, really. "If anyone asks for further details, curse him... and tell him that it isn't any of his business."

"Yes, Master." And with that, Lucius departs.

Narcissa is looking at me with equal parts curiousity and anger.

"I'm staying," I answer the question I can see in her eyes. As clearly as if I were reading her thoughts, I can see that she now wants to know how long I intend to stay. "As long as Bella needs me here." I pause to accommodate her reaction, but she says nothing, perhaps realizing that she went too far before... "Are you staying for breakfast, or do you have something else to do?" I ask, unable to keep a hint of sarcasm from seeping into my voice.

Narcissa does not reply, merely glares angrily at me as she stalks across the room to set the breakfast tray on the bedside table.

Bella has calmed down somewhat, now that she knows I am staying. I gently pry her arms from around my neck, and reposition her body so that she is facing forward, leaning back against my chest. My arms circle her waist, holding her firmly against me. She doesn't need it. She can sit up on her own - her muscles are strong enough for that much. But the contact comforts her.

Narcissa doesn't protest, or even glare at me over it, because she doesn't know exactly what her sister is or isn't physically capable of at this point.

Bella's hands drift down to cover mine. She squeezes them gently, as if she is the one attempting to comfort me. Or... as if she is testing her ability to grip...?

Narcissa holds the teacup up to her sister's mouth but Bella refuses to drink, taking the cup into her own hands. Narcissa is surprised but relinquishes her hold, seeing that her headstrong sister is set on trying to do this for herself.

Bella takes a small sip and swallows. She loses her concentration for just a single moment and the cup slips from her fingers. I can't unwind my arms from her waist fast enough to catch it. The tea spills all over her lap, and mine. I manage to save the cup before it can fall on the floor and break.

Her hands flutter in useless panic.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Narcissa asks, sounding slightly panicked herself. "Did it burn you?"

"It's barely warm," I snap impatiently. "Of course she's not burned."

"Well, she's going to need clean clothes now, anyway," Narcissa says, not looking at me as she makes her way to the closet.

Bella's panic scales up a notch. It takes me a moment to realize exactly what the problem is.

"She doesn't want to wear your clothes. Go to her room and bring back something of hers."

The tension leaves Bella's body as Narcissa exits the room.

The real problem is that she does not want her sister to change her clothes. Because then Narcissa would see that she isn't wearing any panties, and assume that our sleeping together involves more than just sleeping...

With a flick of my wand, I summon the discarded undergarment. And, without too much fuss, get it back into place on Bella's body.

When Narcissa re-enters the room, I am halfway through changing into a set of Lucius's robes. She blushes and quickly looks away.

"Took you long enough," I remark casually, pretending not to notice when her eyes flick back toward me for another look. "And since you have some free time this morning, wash those for me," I order, indicating my discarded robes.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised some LuciusxNarcissa cuteness and it's coming, I swear. I just couldn't work it into this chapter. (Since the fic's already rated M, I might even give them a sex scene.)

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 23: Sand  
 _(Lucius)_

When I return from the morning meeting, Narcissa is alone in the bed, asleep. The Dark Lord is seated in my favorite armchair by the fire with Bellatrix asleep in his lap. (I will refrain from mentioning that it is my favorite because Narcissa and I have had sex in that chair on several occasions...)

"The meeting?" he demands imperiously as soon as I enter the room.

"The same as usual. No new information. No one has returned from their missions." I can't stop myself from smirking sarcastically as I report, "There was speculation that you didn't show up for the meeting because you're tired of dealing with your followers' incompetance."

Once my report is finished, my eyes slide to Narcissa again. The Dark Lord traces the path of my gaze and it is as thought the entire atmosphere of the room changes.

"Bella didn't want to stay in the bed," he explains.

I am not going to ask how she communicated that to him.

"I waited until her sister was asleep to move her. I didn't want another fight to start. Narcissa irritates her." He pauses briefly before admitting, "For that matter, she irritates me as well."

"She means well," I say. But it is a weak defense.

"The path to Hell is paved with good intentions," he counters.

I sigh.

"I'll take her back to our room. For now, at least." It's strange to be calling the guest room we've been using  _our room_. But the master bedroom isn't our room anymore. It's her room. Perhaps even  _his_  and her room.

"We need to find someone else who can stay with Bella during the meetings, and keep Narcissa away from her."

There is no one else. No one we can trust with our family secrets. And, another strange thought, technically the Dark Lord counts as a part of the family now. Seeing as how he's the father of Bellatrix's child.

Then it hits me.

"What about Draco?"


	25. Chapter 25

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 24: Water  
 _(Narcissa)_

When I wake up it is afternoon, and I am back in my own bed. And then I realize how strange it is to think of this bed as my bed, when I've been forced to sleep in the guest room in my own home.

Someone must have carried me here from the master bedroom while I was asleep. Probably-

"Lucius?" I call out, my voice thick with sleep.

"In here," his voice drifts back to me from the bathroom.

I probably shouldn't, but I go in anyway.

"Why are you taking a bath in the middle of the day?" I ask in surprise. That isn't like him. Unless something happened that got his hair dirty.

He sighs heavily.

"I was trying to relax and relieve a little tension before the evening meeting." From the tone of his voice, it's obvious that he hasn't. His expression brightens and he says playfully, "Want to help?"

We haven't had enough time to ourselves lately. I don't even think about it before I start taking my clothes off.

Water splashes onto the floor as I sink into the bath with him. Lucius laughs and slides his arms around me.

"I love you," I murmur, snuggling against his chest.

Lucius presses a soft kiss to the top of my head. "I love you, too."


	26. Chapter 26

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 25: Worries  
 _(Lucius)_

Narcissa shivers and I splash warm water over her back. She sighs and snuggles closer to me.

I'm thinking how nice it is to finally have some time to ourselves when she sighs again and says, "I'm worried about Bella."

I  _so_  do not want to have this discussion right now.

"She'll be fine," I say in what I hope is a reassuring tone. "She's recovering."

"That's not what I meant," Narcissa mumbles against my shoulder. "I'm worried about leaving her alone with him."

I knew she was going to bring this up.

"You have nothing to worry about," I say, sounding impatient. We've had this conversation before. "He's gone out of his way to take care of her."

"He's only doing it because he feels guilty about what he did!"

 _Please don't get hysterical_ , I beg silently.  _I can't deal with it right now_.

"Guilt can only drive a man to do so much. Narcissa, he cares about her. And Bella has grown very attached to him these past few months... perhaps in a way that is not healthy for either of them."


	27. Chapter 27

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 26: That Memory Again  
 _(Voldemort)_

Once Lucius takes Narcissa and leaves, Bella stops pretending to be asleep.

"How would you feel about having Draco take care of you during the day?" I ask, looking down at her.

Her expression turns to panic.

"Of course we wouldn't tell him everything, just that you're recovering from an injury..."

She is calm again. It appears that was her only real objection to it.

"Something Narcissa said earlier has been bothering me." I am hesitant to bring up the topic because I do not want to upset her. But I can't stand not knowing the answer. Bella looks at me curiously. I hesitate a moment more before voicing my question. "Your relationship...  _was_  it abusive from the very beginning?"

She shakes her head. An emphatic no.

"When was the first time he hit you? Was it after you were married?"

She makes an impatient gesture. Guessing games take too long. She wants to show me.

I am surprised. It is THAT memory, again.

_A young sweet Bella, so beautiful that I barely recognize her, smiles radiantly as she tells her husband that she is pregnant with their first child._

_A dark look crosses Rodolphus's face._

_Her smile falters._

_He steps closer, and punches her hard in the stomach._

_She never saw it coming._

_She crumples to the floor, her body wracked with pain as her unborn child dies..._


	28. Chapter 28

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 27: Running  
 _(Bellatrix)_

Another memory.

_My ribs are broken. Not just two or three, ALL of them._

_I almost black out from the pain when I try to re-align the bones._

_I draw the knife across my wrist again and again until the burning pain of the fresh cuts eclipses the throbbing ache from the shattered bones._

_When I'm finished I have scars. I didn't realize I'd cut myself that deeply._

And another.

_A scraping sound. A picture frame being lifted off the mantel, if I'm not mistaken._

_An unfamiliar female voice. "Is this your wife? She's beautiful."_

_A click as the frame is set down again._

_My husband's answering voice. "No, you're beautiful."_

Brief flashes. I don't stop to look anymore. I am running.

"Bella!  _Bella!_ "

My lord's voice calls me back.

Sometime while I was out he moved us from the chair back to the bed. The light coming in through the window is dim. The lamps have been lit. It is early evening. I have been gone, lost within my own mind, for  _hours_.

Even with him here it was very difficult for me to come back this time.

I'm scared.


	29. Chapter 29

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 28: Hunting  
 _(Rodolphus)_

Find and kill Steve and Melissa Roth.

It sounds so simple laid out in words, but the  _find_  part has proven particularly difficult. We've been on this mission for months with nothing to show for it. We knew we couldn't go back defeated, whining that we couldn't find the targets.

So the hunt continued.

And now, after months of hard work, here we are.

The first few minutes of the fight are pure and total chaos and then they're running in different directions. The main party goes after Steve, who is our primary target, leaving me to chase down the wife.

And chase. And chase.

Finally I manage to drive her into a corner.

We're standing six feet apart, shooting spells at each other. I keep missing because I have to dodge the curses she's flinging out randomly. She isn't accurate at all, far from it, but she's quick and I haven't had time to get a good shot at her.

A spell hits my mask and it shatters. I feel blood streaming from my jawline. My hands instinctively rise to feel the wound. My wand drops to the ground.

Now that I'm defenseless I am expecting death, or worse.

But the next thing out of Melissa Roth's mouth isn't a spell.

Staring at my uncovered face, sounding completely shocked, the young woman says one word.

"Daddy?"


	30. Chapter 30

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 29: Revelation  
( _Voldemort_ )

When I finally manage to draw her out of the depths of her inner mind, Bella is panicked and scared. She cries for a long time. I do not know how to comfort her. The contents of her memories are more horrifying than anything I could have ever imagined. Just experiencing it secondhand makes me feel sick.

I hold her while she cries, rubbing her back and stroking her hair, hoping she can take some comfort from my actions because there is nothing that I can say. After a while her breathing evens out and she drifts into a light restless sleep, which she is startled out of soon after when the door clicks open.

Lucius slips quietly into the room.

"Where is Narcissa?" I ask, seeing that she isn't with him.

"Making dinner. She'll be up in a minute," he answers, looking curiously at Bella. "Is she alright?"

I sigh.

"For now. Did you speak with Draco?"

"Not yet. I had a bath and a nap this afternoon and not much else."

The last part of that sentence is clearly a lie. I feel Bella laughing silently against my shoulder and can only assume that Lucius also  _had_  Narcissa this afternoon...

We let the conversation drop as Narcissa enters the room with dinner.

It's always a fight to get Bella to eat anything and after the incident this morning, she is being especially difficult.

"Bella, please!" I snap impatiently. "I know it's embarassing for you to have your sister feeding you and I know you don't want to get sick  _but when you don't eat, the baby isn't getting any food either_."

That's all it takes to convince her to cooperate, but after a few bites her expression turns uneasy and she waves her hand in the universal gesture for  _I'm about to throw up_.

Lucius takes her to the bathroom. I try not to listen to the sounds of Bella retching and the contents of her stomach splashing into the sink.

I notice that Narcissa is giving me an odd look.

"What?"

"Nothing," she says defensively, embarassed at being caught staring.

The water runs in the bathroom. Lucius carries Bella back to the bed, where she crawls into my lap and buries her face against my shoulder. Trying to make her eat any more right now would be an exercise in futility.

Narcissa continues hesistantly, "I was just wondering... about what you said to get her to eat..."

Or, more accurately, she is wondering why it  _worked_.

"Bella doesn't want to lose the baby," I explain. This is putting it mildly. It's more like the baby is her only reason to live, at this point.

I can see from Narcissa's expression that she doesn't understand how her sister can want to keep the baby, considering the manner in which it was conceived.

"Did you know that Bella was pregnant before - during the early years of her marriage?" This is reckless of me. I feel Bella tense in my arms as I say it.

"She had... a miscarriage?" Narcissa asks tentatively.

Bella's hands clench into fists and she nods against my shoulder. Her message is clear:  _Yes, tell them_.

"It was more like an abortion," I answer tersely.

Narcissa gasps and reaches for Lucius's hand. He clutches it tightly within his own. Narcissa is wearing a horrified expression. Lucius's eyes flash with anger. It seems they've both assumed - correctly, I might add - that the child's termintation was a result of Rodolphus's violence, not by Bella's own choice.

"Rodolphus killed their unborn baby," I continue. "In order to ensure that his mistress's child would be his firstborn. That's when the abuse really began. He even brought his mistress and his bastard child into the house while Bella was home. Three years into the affair, his mistress was killed in a traffic accident and her relatives took the child. Rodolphus started coming home drunk every night and sometimes would take Bella - against her will - while calling out his dead girlfriend's name... That is how their second child was conceived. Bella tried to hide the pregnancy from him, hoping that she would be able to keep the baby. But he found out, and accused her of having an affair. She told him the baby was his but he didn't remember what he'd done to her. He slammed her against the wall in a drunken rage and... well, that was the end of that..."

I spare them the details of Bella sobbing uncontrollably while she held the tiny corpse in her arms. It was a boy.

" _Oh God, Bella, why?_ " Narcissa shrieks, tears streaming down her face. " _Why didn't you tell someone? How could you stay with him when he was doing that to you? Why didn't you come HOME? Father would have killed him if he knew!_ "

Bella turns and reaches out to her. And then the sisters are clinging to each other, crying their hearts out while Lucius and I find ourselves awkwardly on the outer edges of what has become a group hug.


	31. Chapter 31

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 30: Daughter  
( _Rodolphus_ )

"Melissa...? Is it really you?" I ask, my voice full of wonder.

She nods slowly.

Of course I didn't know I was going to be hunting down my own daughter when I was assigned this mission. Her married name is different than her mother's last name was and Melissa is a common first name... But now that I have a chance to get a good look at her, I can see how much she looks like her mother. I can see myself in her as well.

"You were only two years old when your mother died. Do you really remember me?"

"A little," Melissa answers quietly. "Most of my memories from back then are fuzzy, but I've seen pictures."

I don't look much like I did in the pictures she would have of me. But I suppose she could recognize me... if she looked hard enough...

"I saw your picture in the newspaper," she continues. "And I recognized your name."

She means the Daily Prophet, the article about last year's prisonbreak.

"You're... one of  _them_. The Dark army... You're supposed to hate people like my mother, my husband, my  _son_... You were sent to kill my family." She levels an accusatory glare in my direction.

"I didn't  _know_  it was you!" I howl. " _And I loved your mother_." After a moment the full impact of her words sinks in and I realize that I am a grandfather... A pureblood, grandfather to a child that is less than half-blood. My daughter is married to a filthy mudblood and their child,  _my grandson_ , will also be classified as common filth...

"Then why didn't you  _marry_  her?" Melissa shrieks, anger overcoming the initial confusion of our unexpected reunion. "You got married to another woman, to a _pureblood_ -" She spits the word as if it is a curse. "-and had  _an affair_  with my mother!"

" _Your mother_  is the one who broke up with me," I shout back. "And  _she_  suddenly decided she loved me  _after_  I had moved on and gotten married! If she'd made up her mind a little sooner, I would have gone back to her even if it meant breaking my engagement but once I was married there was no getting out of it. I couldn't just leave my pureblood wife to get together a half-blood!" Despite the fact that this is exactly what I  _wanted_  to do.

" _You COULD have!_ "

"I had already joined the Dark Lord's forces. I would have been branded a blood traitor and we would have been hunted down and killed."

"Like my family is right now?" she says sarcastically.

"That... was mainly because of Steve Roth's part in the resistance. They might leave you alone..." I say uncertainly. I know how the Dark Lord operates. He might leave the child alone -  _if_  the boy manages to escape - but Melissa's name is on his hit list right next to her husband's.

"What are you going to do now?"

This decision - once it's made, there will be no going back. I know I will regret this for the rest of my life.

I kneel and pick up my wand from where I dropped it earlier.

"I'm going to protect you."


	32. Chapter 32

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 31: Separation Anxiety  
( _Voldemort_ )

It's almost time for the evening meeting. Bella is clinging to me worse than she was this morning. I hate to leave her this way but I can't duck out on another meeting. Taking care of Bella is important, of course, but the rest of my dark empire can't function without proper leadership...

"You'll be fine," I tell her firmly. "Your sister is here, and I'll only be gone for a few hours."

But she only clings harder. It is as if her entire being is screaming  _Don't go! Don't go!_

I sigh and my voice softens as I ask, "Is there something you needed, before I leave?"

A delicate flush creeps over her features and she fidgets a bit before pointing... in the direction of the bathroom door. Of course, it is still embarassing for her when we have to do this, but I know that she would rather have me doing it than Narcissa.

As I am carrying Bella to the bathroom, out of the corner of my eye I see Narcissa step forward - ready to protest that she should be the one to help her sister in this situation - but Lucius places a restraining hand on her arm and says something quietly to her.  _Let her have a few minutes alone with him_ , if I've read the movements of his lips correctly.

And then we are in the bathroom and I don't have time think about it. I set Bella down and close the door.

We aren't as awkward about it anymore as we were that first time. She remains calm as I push her skirt up over her hips and slip off her panties. She even remains calm when my hand is... in places I'd rather not mention.

She leans against my shoulder as I wash her hands, and mine. She manages to remain standing on her own for the moment it takes me to fetch the towel. She leans against me again as I dry her hands.

Then I lift her up to sit onto the bathroom counter and I push her skirt up around her waist once more while I slip her panties back on. Once her clothing is all back in proper order, I go to lift her into my arms...

But I stop.

"You know, Narcissa is right," I say. "I don't know how you can trust me after what I did to you."

She looks up at me, her eyes wet with tears, and mouths  _I love you_.

I feel a hollow ache in my chest.

I bring one hand up to cup her cheek.

"Bella, you... are... precious to me." This is the best I can manage. I can't say that I love her. Lord Voldemort does not  _love_. "I can't stand the thought of losing you." This is much closer to the truth.

And then I lean down and kiss her, as softly and as gently as possible. For one terrifying moment I fear that I have gone too far, but then I feel her lips moving against mine.


	33. Chapter 33

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 32: Voice  
( _Bellatrix_ )

I did not expect him to respond to - or in any way reciprocate - my feelings. I certainly didn't expect him to kiss me.

After my "punishment", I've found myself sickened by the taste of his skin, but a kiss is different...

His mouth is warm on mine, his movements soft and slow. I respond in kind. His fingers rake through my hair as mine clench in the fabric of his robes. I press myself closer to him as the kiss deepens. He slides one hand down the length of my spine to rest at the small of my back. I trace his lips with the tip of my tongue.

Suddenly he pulls away from me.

" _Bella!_ " he gasps.

Tears spill down my cheeks at the rejection. Of course, it's my fault for taking it too far.

"I'm sorry," I say.

But my lord does not look angry. He looks... excited? An amused smile plays about the corners of his mouth. He looks like he is trying to stop himself from laughing.

My eyes widen and my hand flies to my throat.

I spoke just now. I spoke just now  _and sound came out!_

And then I realize. I must have been making noises while we were kissing, which is the reason he pulled away in the first place.

"My lord, I - I -"

My voice is cracked and hoarse, and I seem to have forgotten how to speak with words anyway. I reach for him and he sweeps me up into his arms as I break into full-throated sobs.

My voice has returned.


	34. Chapter 34

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 33: There Was Something  
( _Rabastan_ )

After a short chase and a lively battle, Steve Roth lies dead at my feet.

"We should return to Malfoy Manor and report to the Dark Lord immediately... where are you going?"

"Back to the house," I answer, meaning the Roths' house.

Snape looks at me like I'm stupid.

"The wife isn't going to go back to the house, knowing that we're after her," he says exasperatedly, as if explaining it to a slow child. I don't need to be a mindreader to know that, yes, he definitely thinks I'm stupid.

But I saw something at the house that I need to take a closer look at.

"There was something," I snap. "You go back. Claim all the glory for yourself, I don't care."

"You're not seriously going back there? There's no reason!"

" _There was something_ ," I snarl, and stalk off, leaving Snape to run home like a good dog and report our success to the Dark Lord.


	35. Chapter 35

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 34: Closure  
( _Voldemort_ )

A week has passed and every night she dreams of our secret kiss. But it isn't the memory itself or her feelings for me that cause her to dream of it whenever she sleeps. She is doing it on purpose. She is using it as a shield against the harsh memories of her past.

Today we've left her alone with Draco for the first time and I take the opportunity to privately discuss my concerns with Lucius and Narcissa.

When I tell them that I'm worried about Bella's condition, Narcissa looks uneasy.

"But... she's getting better, isn't she?" Narcissa asks uncertainly.

"Physically, yes," I reply. "But her mind is breaking, more and more with each day that passes. He is still hurting her. Everything that he has ever done to her is still hurting her. She needs closure."

"So, Rodolphus has to die?" Lucius says, sounding as though he'd very much like to be the one to carry out the execution.

"While that  _would_  bring a definite closure to their relationship, I was thinking more along the lines of a divorce."

"But how can we...?"

"It's simple really, we just have to file the paperwork. Nothing for any us to risk getting ourselves arrested over."

"But, their signatures?"

"Easy enough to forge..."

"The ministry might refuse to process the request."

"They might. I'm betting they won't, though. We won't tell Bella until we know for sure whether it's gone through."


	36. Chapter 36

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 35: On The Way  
( _Snape_ )

I delayed returning to Malfoy Manor on the pretense of trying to complete the less important half of the mission. But the real reason I stayed in Rabastan's company was because when he told me " _There was something_ " with that fierce look in his eyes, I was certain his reason for returning to the house would be to kill the Roth child, an unnecessary death which I hoped I would be able to prevent.

He took a few things from the house, but offered me no explanation as to what they were or why he took them.

And although we did find the child, he hasn't attempted to kill the boy yet, and for some odd reason that he refuses to explain, Rabastan insists on bringing the child back with us.

We are on the way back now, to report our success in killing Steve Roth, our failure in killing his wife, and whatever revelations the mystery objects Rabastan took from the Roth's house and the child hold.


	37. Chapter 37

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 36: Movement  
( _Voldemort_ )

I wake up in the middle of the night. I can hear her crying.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"It moved," she whispers.

"What?" I ask, confused. She doesn't like to talk because it still hurts her throat when she does, so it must be something serious.

"The baby, I think I felt it move."

I don't know why she would be crying about it, though. If anything, she should be happy... Then I remember that she's been pregnant before. This must have brought back memories of her other unborn children, the ones that were so cruelly taken away from her.

I place my hand flat against her stomach.

"You can't feel anything from the outside. The baby is too small right now. But I can feel it inside me." She presses her face against my shoulder. "What if I don't get better? What if I'm not strong enough when it's time for the baby to be born?"

I didn't realize that she's been worrying about things like that. I've been more concerned with her mental health lately.

I hold her tightly against me and try to keep my voice even as I tell her, "You're going to be fine, Bella. You're getting better every day." Physically, at least. "Your morning sickness has stopped and you've started gaining weight. And by the time the baby is born, you'll be perfectly healthy again." I am not entirely sure of the truth of that statement, but I believe that when the time comes she will be well enough to survive the birth. "You and the baby are both going to be fine."

She doesn't say anything but her crying has stopped and I feel her body relax against mine.

"Have you thought about names yet?" I ask, suddenly curious.

She shakes her head.

"You haven't?"

Negative response again.

"At all?"

"You pick," she whispers.

I sigh. "There must be some name that you like..."

But she just shakes her head.

"Bella..."

She cringes against me. And then I see it.

_At the hospital, the day Draco was born. She is there alone. Her husband probably wouldn't have come with her even if she'd asked, and he was off drunk somewhere anyway..._

_She sees the baby in her sister's arms and she feels the ache in her own empty womb. Her son would have been just a few months younger than Narcissa's, if she'd been able to keep it. She sees Lucius sitting beside Naricssa, gazing adoringly at their newborn baby and she is overwhelmed with jealousy._

_These are the things she wants but knows she can never have. A child, a loving husband._

_"What's his name?" Bella asks from the doorway. She doesn't go any farther into the room._

_"We haven't decide yet," Lucius says._

_There is a heavy silence and Bella realizes that it's something they've argued about._

_"What about Draco?" she suggests._

_"I like it," Lucius says, surprised by how perfect the name is._

_He doesn't see the look that passes between the sisters, doesn't see the silent understanding._

Another memory.

_Bella is sixteen, nearly an adult, not sure yet if she'll end up with Rodolphus or with someone else. Narcissa is twelve, just starting to like boys._

_Narcissa babbles on about how she can't wait to grow up and get married and raise pretty pureblood children. She's even thought of names already. More than she could ever concievably use. Bella isn't really listening, until Narcissa asks a question that catches her attention._

_"What names do you like for your children?"_

_Bella takes a deep breath and lets it out, then hesistates for a moment longer before finally replying, "Draco."_

_"That's it?"_

_"It's a good, strong name for my firstborn son," Bella answers confidently._

_Narcissa frowns. "What about a girl?"_

_"I don't know. Girl names are hard. I'll let my husband pick."_

She gave up the name she wanted for her firstborn son when she realized that she would never be allowed to have a child of her own. And, something she'll never tell her sister even now, she called both of her dead babies  _Draco_.

"I think... Tabris, for a boy," I say, stroking her hair. "Isn't there  _any_  name you'd like for a girl?"

"Anastasia."


	38. Chapter 38

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 37: Feels Like Forever  
( _Rabastan_ )

"Shut  _up_!" I snap, losing patience with the child's whining.

The brat goes quiet in fear, but I feel no relief because I don't know how long it will last. If I wasn't already down to my last reserves of energy - magical and otherwise - I would just use a silencing charm on him.

We can't apparate because Snape and I are both exhausted - we didn't rest after raiding the Roth house, just started on our way back and we've been traveling ever since. If either of us tried to apparate in our current condition, there's no telling  _where_  we might end up. And dragging an extra person along, even one that small, someone was bound to end up getting splinched. So we're stuck with good old-fashioned walking as our only option for means of transport.

A scant few mintues pass before the brat begins complaining again.

"Why don't you pick him up or something?" I suggest to Snape.

"Why don't you?" Snap returns bad-temperedly. " _You're_  the one who wanted to bring him along!"

"That doesn't mean I actually want to  _touch_  the filthy creature!"

In the end it is Snape who relents and carried the child.


	39. Chapter 39

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 38: Blacker Than Nightmare  
( _Voldemort_ )

Finally morning comes. I wake up feeling as though I haven't slept at all. I carefully extricate myself from Bella, who is now sleeping soundly after a long night full of bad dreams and horrific memories. I've lost count of the number of times I had to pull her consciousness back from the deeper recesses of her mind.

Lucius enters the room before Narcissa, as usual. He pauses in the doorway when he sees that I am awake and that Bella is still asleep.

I motion for him to take my place beside her on the bed. He understands immediately - we have all become much more proficient in the practice and interpretation of nonverbal communication since the beginning of this ordeal.

I must look like hell, because Lucius gives me a sympathetic look and mouths  _Rough night?_

I can barely summon the energy to form a response but I force myself to nod. I slide out of the bed and through sheer force of will I manage to remain standing, although my body would clearly prefer to collapse into a puddle on the floor.

Lucius takes my place beside Bella. She is still nowhere near a healthy weight and needs another person's body heat to keep her warm at all times. Even so, Lucius hesitates before putting his arm around her waist.

I go down to the kitchen, where Narcissa is preparing breakfast. She seems startled to see me but tries to hide it.

"Lucius is with her," I answer before she can ask.

Draco is sitting at the kitchen table, eating toast and reading an old letter from his little girlfriend. Probably wondering if he's ever going to see her again. Summer is over and the school term has started but he's stuck here... He wisely remains silent in my presence.

"You three can handle the morning routine without me today." I phrase it as an order, not a question. I just don't feel like dealing with it today.

"Yes, my lord," Narcissa says tiredly. As she brushes past me with the breakfast tray, I can't help noticing that the dark circles under her eyes have become more pronounced.

Draco quickly stuffs the rumpled letter into his pocket and trails after his mother.

Alone in the kitchen now, I pour myself a cup of coffee. I take a sip and immeadiately spit it back out. It is awful, weak and watery. I start making a fresh pot.

I want it black, blacker than nightmare.


	40. Chapter 40

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 39: Scorpion's Breath  
( _Rabastan_ )

Within minutes of being picked up, the kid is out cold. Two hours of blissful silence follow, with only the sounds of our dragging footsteps and ragged breathing.

Then the brat wakes up, all refreshed from his nap. And the constant stream of one-sided chatter begins again.

"Where are we going? When are we going to get there?"

The little voice grates on my nerves. Snape and I both make no attempt to answer the brat's questions but that doesn't seem to discourage him at all from continuing to ask.

"Are we almost there yet? Where are we going? Why did you take me? Hey, mister, what's your names?"

 _Please, God, make it stop_.

"I want to go home," the brat whines.

My temper breaks.

"You can't go home," I snap. "Your parents are dead. They were killed by bad people, and those bad people want to kill you too, but I thought my sister might like to take care of you so I'm taking you someplace you can meet her. We'll be there in few days. Now kindly  _shut up_."

None of what I've just said is strictly a lie. Just a creative use of the truth.

Snape stares at me.

"You are  _not_  serious about turning this child over to Bellatrix," he says in disbelief. He knows that's who I meant since I don't have any actual sisters.

"Dead serious."


	41. Chapter 41

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 40: Fire  
( _Voldemort_ )

Somehow I make it through the morning meeting without betraying the fact that I am dead tired and not in the mood to deal with anyone or anything. Nothing of any importance happens anyway, and probably won't until someone returns from one of the several missions that are currently being undertaken.

When Lucius and I return to the master bedroom after the morning meeting, Draco is nowhere to be seen. The two sisters are sitting slightly apart from each other on the edge of the bed and appear to be having a furious - yet silent - argument.

Narcissa shoots me a black look and storms out of the room in high bad temper as Lucius and I enter.

I wonder what that was about. And from the look on Lucius's face, it's obvious that he is wondering the same thing.

Bella stands and takes a faltering step toward me. I rush forward and catch her before she falls.

I glance over my shoulder at Lucius, who seems torn between staying to help me with Bella and going after his wife. I tip him the go ahead and, looking relieved, he departs.

"What happened?" I ask, looking down at Bella.

She shakes her head.

"You don't want to talk about it?"

" _You_  don't want to talk about it," she whispers, leaning against my chest. She's wrong. I do want to talk about it. That's why I _asked_. I am about to say so when she continues, "You're tired. You want to take a nap before the evening meeting, right?"

So, she noticed. And, moreover, she is worried about me. Which is ironic, considering how much more worrisome of a condition she is in than me.

However, I must concede that I need sleep more than anything right now. As we settle into the bed - me in a sitting position with my back against the headboard and her in my lap - I inform her, "We  _are_  going to talk about this later."

I feel her nod against my shoulder, relenting, agreeing to discuss the matter with me later although I know she does not want to. I realize belatedly that the argument probably had something to do with Narcissa voicing negative thoughts about me.

I am almost asleep when I remember that Bella has had almost as little sleep as I have. I do not want to spend the afternoon keeping her from drowning in the sea of her memories.

"Try not to drift," I mumble, my words barely coherent as I cling to the last threads of consciousness before falling into sleep. "Just... stay with me, right here."

If she makes any reply, I do not hear it. My mind is deliciously fuzzy, and swirls with incoherent images until my thoughts merge with hers.

We both rest peacefully, dreaming of our secret kiss.


	42. Chapter 42

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 41: Sensible Suggestions  
( _Snape_ )

Exhausted is an understatement. We are at the limits of our physical capabilities.

So I am not  _completely_  surprised when Rabastan collapses into the dirt. I honestly thought I would be the first to collapse, seeing as how I'm the one who has to deal with the child. Then again, perhaps the fight against Steve Roth took more out of him than I previously thought.

"We're still a few days out," I comment in a dry tone of voice. "Don't you think it would be wise to find a place to rest a while before making the last leg of the journey?"

He really has no choice but to agree. It's a sensible suggestion, after all.

And it will delay our arrival at Malfoy Manor, which is an event I am not particularly looking forward to.


	43. Chapter 43

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 42: Black Lightning  
( _Bellatrix_ )

I wake to the sound of my lord's voice softly calling my name. It's the first time I have slept so well in... as long as I can remember.

I open my eyes slowly and see my lord looking down at me with an expression that is almost tender. Without thinking about what I am doing, still half-caught in the dream of our memory, I move to brush my lips against his.

( _Voldemort_ )

I am surprised when she kisses me, but I do not pull away. I have not kissed her since that day she regained her voice. Her mental unbalance being my main concern, I decided to wait and let her make the next move. This is the first time she has attempted to initiate anything.

I return the kiss gently, bringing one hand up to cup her cheek, keeping my other arm wrapped firmly around her waist. She winds her arms around my neck, pressing herself closer to me.

I can feel my self-control starting to break down as her kisses become more insistent.

And then I remember the reason I woke her up in the first place.

But it is too late.

( _Bellatrix_ )

We break apart at the sound of a jarring crash. I cringe, hiding my face against his shoulder. I do not look because I know what I will see. My sister, standing in the doorway with a shocked and outraged expression on her pretty little face. And our dinner, spilled all over the floor because she dropped the tray.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who didn't get it, the chapter title is a Fight Club reference. "I tried not to think of the words searing flesh." (Fight Club members get the back of their hand burned with lye, in much the same way as Death Eaters must be Marked.)

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 43: Lye  
( _Lucius_ )

I clap my hand over Narcissa's mouth before she has a chance to utter a single sound. I wrap my other arm around her waist, anchoring her firmly against me so that she has no chance of breaking free to... well, I'm not really sure what she might do, only that letting her go isn't a good idea right now.

I do not know what to do next. I look to my lord for guidance.

( _Narcissa_ )

Bella looks guilty at being caught. I realize immediately that she must be the one who started it. Not that knowing that does me any good.

The Dark Lord's expression is livid. I know it is my reaction that has sparked his rage, not the fact that they were seen. If Lucius would just take his hand off my mouth, I would apologize. I would probably babble in terror, but I'm sure an apology would tumble out somewhere in the nervous tangle of words.

( _Lucius_ )

I feel Narcissa's body tense as the Dark Lord rises and strides toward us.

"Narcissa," he says coldly. "I have been far too lenient with you up to this point."

The Dark Lord takes out his wand. Narcissa cringes against me in fear. I think I know what is coming, but she obviously has not guessed or she wouldn't be panicking like this. Or maybe she would. Lately I feel as though I do not know my wife as well as I thought I did.

Keeping her mouth covered (just in case), I release her waist and capture her left arm, turning out her wrist.

A grim smile lights my lord's face. Apparently he is pleased that I've anticipated his intentions.

( _Bellatrix_ )

I look up when I hear my sister's muffled shriek.

"I will not tolerate your insubordinate attitude any longer," my lord instructs my sister with barely retrained fury. "I expect you to address me with the same respect as any of my Death Eaters." He pauses. "Now, go back downstairs and make dinner again - just for yourself and Bella, since Lucius and Draco will be expected to be on time for the evening meeting."

My lord moves back toward the bed and I see the Mark shining darkly on my sister's wrist.


	45. Chapter 45

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 44: Fuzzy  
( _Draco_ )

Mother's shoulder knocks against mine as she rushes out of the room. She is Marked now, officially a Death Eater...

I hover in the doorway - standing, staring, not knowing what to do.

For Father, it is the opposite. As soon as Mother is out of the room, he is moving with speed and purpose. He goes to the closet and takes out Mother's best fur-lined winter cloak, as well as one of his own plain black cloaks. He also takes out one of his old canes - not quite as stylish as the one he carries now - and tosses it to me. I wasn't expecting it and fumble the catch, but he isn't looking to make sure I've caught it. He's already moving again. I quickly pick up the cane and hold onto it, unsure what its purpose is intended to be.

Father is sitting on the edge of the bed now, wrapping Mother's fur-lined cloak around Aunt Bella's shoulders. She looks at him with an expression I can't read... then smiles. I suppose this means she knows what he is up to. I, however, remain clueless. And from the look on his face, it appears that the Dark Lord is not sure exactly what is going on either.

"What are you doing, Lucius?" the Dark Lord inquires as Father secures the plain black cloak overtop of the fur-lined one.

"Bellatrix wants to come to the meeting," Father replies, sounding surprised that the Dark Lord did not already know. "Didn't she tell you?"

The Dark Lord frowns.

"That's what you and Narcissa were fighting about earlier?"

Aunt Bella bites her lip and nods.

The Dark Lords turns his attention back to Father and says, "Do you really think this is wise, Lucius?"

"I think it will be good for her to get out of this room," Father replies carefully. "She should be able to stay warm enough if she sits next to the fire. Draco and I will bring her down."

"If she really isn't well enough to attempt this..."

"If that problem arises, we will deal with it, my lord," Father says smoothly.

The Dark Lord nods once, giving his permission, then turns and leaves the room.


	46. Chapter 46

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 45: Welcome Back  
( _Snape_ )

We made it back to the manor just in time for the day's evening meeting. I don't know what Rabastan has done with the child for the time being. On second thought, I'm not sure I even want to think about it...

Just as the meeting is about to start, the door bangs open and Lucius Malfoy strides into the room. His son and Bellatrix Lestrange trail after him. Bellatrix hobbles along pathetically in short painful-looking steps, assisted by Draco and the use of a cane. Even so, she looks like she might fall down at any given moment.

Lucius does not pay attention to what is going on behind him, his face a mask of cold indifference as he takes his place at the table.

"Oh? Feeling well enough to join us today, Bella?" the Dark Lord asks, looking on with mild interest.

"Yes, my lord."

Her voice doesn't carry far enough for me to actually hear it, but if I've read the movements of her lips correctly, that  _is_  what she said.

A few more steps and it happens - she falls. The cane slips from her grasp and skitters across the floor. Draco catches her arm before she completely hits the ground, but it's not enough to stop her from falling...

Then Rabastan is there.

"Jesus, Bella, you look like hell," he says conversationally, as he is sliding an arm around her waist.

She looks at him in alarm. He says something quietly to her that I don't quite catch, and her face goes blank again - concealing all emotion.

"Yes,  _thank you_ , little brother," she responds with biting sarcasm, but allows him to help her to her place at the table all the same.


	47. Chapter 47

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 46: Careful Masquerade  
( _Bellatrix_ )

As the others stare and whisper, my concentration is pulled in too many directions at once and I lose grip on the cane. My mind registers the fact that I am about to fall down, but my body refuses to cooperate even so much as to allow me to put an arm out to break my fall. I feel Draco catch hold of my elbow with one hand but it is not enough to stop me from falling. My eyes close as my mind steels itself for the impact...

And in the next instant I find myself pinned against someone's side.

"Jesus, Bella, you look like hell."

My eyes snap open and I look up at my brother-in-law.

 _So, they've returned_.

The panic I feel must be evident in my expression, because he leans closer and says softly, "Rod didn't make it back."

"Dead?" That word is the only part of the question that actually makes it out of my mouth.

"No," he breathes.

( _Rabastan_ )

Our whispered conversation takes place in the space of a single second. No one - other than the Dark Lord, and possibly Snape - probably has any idea that we said anything to each other than my initial comment.

I swear, she didn't sound scared or worried when she asked me if my brother was dead. She sounded hopeful.

( _Bellatrix_ )

I carefully wipe all evidence of emotion from my face and spit sarcastically, "Yes,  _thank you_ , little brother."

But I lean against him gratefully as he half-carries me to my place at the table, which is conveniently close to his. Rabastan always did have more class than his brother and has always treated me as if I were his actual sister.

( _Rabastan_ )

I keep a careful eye on Bellatrix throughout the meeting. She looks weak and faint the entire time, and towards the end she goes pale and looks as though she is about to die. I want to say something, do something, but I am at a loss as for what to say or do.

I would wonder why she came to the meeting when she is in such a condition, but she infamous among us for for her fanatical devotion to our master.


	48. Chapter 48

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 47: When Subtle Methods Fail  
( _Voldemort_ )

The meeting ends and my minions scatter.

Rabastan lingers, seemingly with another motive besides his obvious concern for Bella's health. Snape gives him an odd look as he walks past him, which Rabastan doesn't notice - or pretends not to notice, anyway.

Everyone else has gone, except for the three of us and Lucius.

When Bella makes no move to get up from her chair, Rabastan asks her, very quietly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she says tiredly.

We're pretty much just waiting for him to leave, so I can take Bella back to our room. Since he knows that I will not require his assistance, I suspect Lucius is only hanging around in order to avoid being bitched at by Narcissa.

"Are you  _really_  alright?" Rabastan asks, sounding worried.

"I'm fine," she snaps, impatient for him to be gone. She isn't fine. She has strained her current physical limits and her body is on the verge shutting down. In simple terms: she is about to faint.

He can see that she isn't fine, and this seems to conflict with his reason for hanging back. I don't know if he is keeping his thoughts intentionally vague, but I can't seem to find the actual reason within the swirling mass of worries at the forefront of his consciousness.

Well, when subtle methods fail...

"Was there something you wished to discuss privately with me, Rabastan?" I ask.

His attention snaps to me, a startled expression on his face - almost as though he'd forgotten that I was still in the room.

"No, my lord," he replies carefully. "Not that it was something I meant to keep from you, but it is a family matter..."

I understand now. There is something he wishes to discuss with Bella, but her condition is causing him to hesitate.

"Go on, then."

A slight sound draws his attetnion to Lucius.

"What are you doing skulking around back there, Malfoy?" Rabastan asks.

"If you must know, I was waiting discuss a certain matter with the Dark Lord in private," Lucius lies smoothly. "But, please, don't allow me to stop you from saying what you have to say."

"It's a family matter," Rabastan says, now letting his anger show. "It doesn't concern you."

"In case you've forgotten, I  _am_  family," Lucius sneers, eyes narrowed.

"Sure you are! Now, when it suits you," Rabastan snaps. "You certainly weren't acting like it earlier!"

I can see the fury rising in Lucius's eyes, and I have the presence of mind to cast a soundproofing charm over the room so that what comes next will not be overheard.

" _What should I have done, then?_ " Lucius roars. " _Let everyone know that I'm not the coldhearted bastard they think I am? Do you think anyone in this room would have any respect left for Bellatrix if she showed up at the meeting acting like she COULDN'T walk through that door on her own?! Should we let them know that we're not the people we've worked so hard to make them think we are? Do you WANT everyone to find out that your brother is abusive bastard who beat his wife to within an inch of her life?!_ "

Yes, the soundproofing charm was definitely a good idea.


	49. Chapter 49

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 48: Family Secrets  
( _Rabastan_ )

Somehow I'm more surprised by the fact that Lucius has lost his temper so completely than by the information he is shouting.

I sort of suspected the abuse thing - ever since Bella suddenly developed a violence fetish and joined the Death Eaters at the age of twenty-one. Our parents were friends and they made us play together when we were kids. She used to be sweet.

The shouting is followed by a moment of silence in which Lucius seems to realize what he's just done.

"Are you finished now?" the Dark Lord asks, sounding mostly annoyed - and just a little amused - but not surprised. Apparently he already knew about it, as well.

Lucius doesn't answer. He seems appropriately horrified by what he's done, although it appears that I am the only one in the room who is the least bit surprised by his revelation.

I would have thought Bella would be angry that he's spilled the secret, but she hasn't responded at all. In fact, it looks like she's not paying any attention to anything that's going on around her. She's staring straight ahead, eyes unfocused...

"Oh,  _hell_ ," the Dark Lord hisses, and I see that he's looking at her. His eyes snap up to meet mine. "Get her," he commands. "Pick her up, carry her," he clarifies when I don't immediately move to follow his order. "Lucius," he snaps. Malfoy's head jerks up at the sound of his name being called - immediately ready to respond to the wishes of our master. "Go find Narcissa and be useless together for the rest of the evening," he finishes, sounding disgusted with the pair of them.

Lucius departs with a sour expression on his face.

The Dark Lord turns to me and quirks an eyebrow as if to silently question  _Why have you not followed my instructions yet?_

I carefully scoop Bellatrix into my arms and await further directions. He has not told me  _where_  I am supposed to carry her to.

"It seems that it is up to me to fill you in on the rest of the family secrets. Come, follow me."

I follow him out of the room, wondering what I've gotten myself into and if maybe I should ask him to just erase my memory of the last few minutes instead.


	50. Chapter 50

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 49: Show and Tell  
( _Voldemort_ )

"... and I, personally, have been nursing her back to health since then - with the Malfoy family's assistance, if their bumbling actions can be called such." I've left out certain details about my own actions and Bella's pregnancy, but otherwise pretty much told him exactly how things stand.

Rabastan was silent throughout my explanation and remains silent now.

We are in the master bedroom. Rabastan is sitting on the edge of the bed while I am sitting in the chair with Bella in my lap. She is still unconscious, lost in her memories. I will not delve into to her mind to drag her back to reality while another person is present. I can't risk letting anyone know that I would put myself in such a vulnerable position, not even an "insider" who knows our every family secret. (As much as I hate to admit it, I  _am_  a part of this family now.)

After a long pause, Rabastan finally speaks up.

"So, Draco knows?"

"Draco knows nothing except that she is recovering from a serious injury," I explain. "He isn't  _quite_  as useless as his mother at taking care of Bella, which is why I decided to include him in this task."

He goes quiet again.

During the few moments of uncomfortable silence, I feel Bella beginning to stir. She is waking up on her own, which is good.

Rabastan closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"There's something you should know about my brother," he says. "I don't think he's coming back..."

Bella snaps into full wakefulness when she hears that.

"Why?" I ask him.

Rabastan pauses to fish something out of his pocket. "This," he says, holding it out for us to see. "I found it at the Roth house."

It's a ring. To be precise, a woman's engagement ring. Antique silver set with onyx and fire opal, if I'm not mistaken - but I see nothing out of the ordinary about it. Bellatrix, however...

When she sees the ring, a sharp breath hisses between her teeth and she rasps out, " _That_..." Oddly, she glances down at her own engagement ring that she is wearing before continuing to glare spitefully at the one laying in her brother-in-law's hand.

"So, you do recognize it," Rabastan says, as if he expected her to recognize it all along. "This is my grandmother's ring," he informs me, seemingly noticing that I am clueless about the significance of this particular object.

"So," Bellatrix growls. "Melissa Roth was  _THAT_  Melissa?"

And suddenly the pieces click into place in my mind. Rodolphus's mistress was the woman he dated  _before_  Bellatrix. He must have proposed to her with his grandmother's ring, but the girl never gave it back when they broke up - which is why Bella was given a ring purchased from a jewelry store instead of a family heirloom. The ring must have been passed on to the daughter after the mother died.

And Melissa was the name of Rodolphus's bastard child.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now you know the mistress's name: Sara Mathis. By the way, I don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but Darius is about 3 years old.

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 50: Darius  
( _Rabastan_ )

I can feel the Dark Lord probing my mind and finding -  _of course, I should have mentioned it sooner_  - my memories of taking the Roth child. Also a picture frame, which I hand over to him. But the picture isn't really that important, seeing as how the Dark Lord somehow already knew about my brother's affair. It's an old photograph of Rodolphus and Sara Mathis and Melissa, taken when Melissa was still a baby.

"You brought the Roth child back here? Where is he? Bring him here at once," my lord commands.

"I've got him right here," I say, taking it out of my pocket. I transfigured it into a something resembling a Muggle inkpen in a fit of anger earlier, and ended up leaving it that way during the meeting for lack of a better way to deal with it. I turn it back into a human and shake it by the scruff of its neck. "Here it is, the filthy creature." The child begins to squeal.

"Stop!" Bella snaps, leaping to her feet. "Give him to me."

I don't know why she would protest my treatment of the little piece of filth, but I hand it over to her anyway.

( _Voldemort_ )

The child's cries cease almost immediately when Bella takes him into her arms.

Before I have time to worry about her possibly collapsing, she is back in my lap with the child cradled protectively against her.

"It's alright, sweetie," she says softly to the child, in an exceedingly gentle tone of voice that I have never heard her use before. The boy sniffles a little and snuggles closer to her. "Can you tell me your name?" she asks in the same gentle tone. In truth, I am slightly creeped out at hearing her speak this way. But it works...

"Darius Roth," the boy whispers.

"And... do you know who I am?" she asks.

Darius shakes his head.

Bella slips the picture frame out of my hand and holds it up for Darius to see.

"Do you know who these people are?"

Darius points as he answers, sticking his finger right on the glass as he identifies each person. "That's my mommy when she was a baby, and Grandma Sara who's dead, and my grandpa that I never met."

"You know what, Darius? I'm married to your grandfather, which makes me your grandmother, too." She sounds cheerful but the look on her face tells me she disgusted by the thought. But the child isn't looking at her face, and seems very happy to be in the care of a person he obviously assumes will love him.

( _Rabastan_ )

Bellatrix flashes me a smug smirk, as if to say  _See, it's a lot more useful than you thought it was_.

I wonder what she's planning to do with it.


	52. Chapter 52

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 51: The Betrayal Revealed  
( _Lucius_ )

Bellatrix is still wiped out from attending the meeting last night, so she's staying in her room this morning. Draco is watching her. The Dark Lord has ordered that Narcissa is to attend meetings like a proper Death Eater now that she is Marked. I don't know why he is so insistent on it, but I'm not going to argue with him about it...

"I'm sure many of you are wondering why Rodolphus Lestrange did not return last night with his brother and Snape, who were on the mission. It seems he has decided to betray me and go against everything the Death Eaters have ever stood for."

Whispers erupt all over the room at this announcement. Bellatrix is easily the most devoted out of all of us, so of course the others always assumed that her husband was of the same or similar mindset.

"Seeing as Bellatrix is out of commission at the moment-"

 _Since they all assume she'd be the first to volunteer to hunt him down_...

"-who would like accompany Rabastan in bringing his brother back?"

Whispers broke out again. He'd said  _bring back_ , not  _kill_.

"Yes, alive," the Dark Lord snaps. "I will deal with him myself once he is found. Now, who will go?"

When the others hesitate, I stand up from my chair.

"My lord, I-"

"No, Lucius. You're needed here," he says, frowning. His gaze slides slightly to the left. "Narcissa!"

( _Narcissa_ )

I jump when the Dark Lord calls my name.

"You will go," he orders.

"Yes, my lord." There is nothing else I can say.

( _Lucius_ )

I think he was probably planning to do that all along. I can't help wondering if he's doing this to punish Narcissa for her insubordination, or if he just wants to get her out of the house for a while because she annoys him so much.


	53. Chapter 53

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 52: The Beginning  
( _Bellatrix_ )

I've pushed the limits of my physical endurance so much that I'm not at all surprised when I spiral downward into the black cloud of my memories.

_I've just returned to the Slytherin common room after a trip to the library, and am intent on studying, but every chair and couch in the room is occupied. Certain undignified people have even resorted to sitting on the floor._

_I suppose I'll just have to study in my dormitory room until it clears out a bit down here. I'm making my way toward the staircase when someone calls my name. It's Rodolphus Lestrange, a sixth-year - two years older than me. We were childhood playmates due to our mothers' friendship but I haven't spoken to him since I was nine._

_"Bella, where are you going? There's plenty of room here-"_

_I raise a skeptical eyebrow. There is NO room ANYWHERE, OBVIOUSLY. Unless he is about to suggest that I should sit on the floor, for which I will be forced to hex him._

_"-on my lap," he finishes, smirking._

_"Don't you have a girlfriend, Lestrange?" I say, not really meaning it as a question and addressing him by his last name - not a achildhood nickname - as an added insult._

_"Not anymore," he says._

_"But you'll get back together with Sara as soon as she comes crawling back to you," I respond acidly. They've been dating on and off for three years now, and I even heard a rumor that he proposed to her. But they fight so much - constantly breaking up and getting back together - that I wonder how they can even stand each other anymore._

_"She's been fooling around with some Mudblood piece of trash lately," he says, scowling. "There's no way I'm getting back together with her after she's been... tainted... by THAT." He flashes me a charming smile. "I should have known better, should have stuck with pureblood girls from the beginning."_

_The conversation goes on from there but nothing of much importance is said and in the end, I sit in his lap._


	54. Chapter 54

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 53: Morning Mail  
( _Lucius_ )

It has been three days since Narcissa left with Rabastan (and a few expendable Death Eaters whose names I've conveniently forgotten) on their mission. Which means it has been up to me to make the meals in her absence. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this cooking thing. Or, at least, I can fry an egg and make toast without setting anything on fire...

Except I  _do_  end up setting the toast on fire when a damn owl smashes into the kitchen window and startles me.

"It's closed, you stupid idiot bird," I mutter darkly as I open the window and extract the mail from the stunned creature's talons.

I forget all about making breakfast when I open the letter and realize what I have in my hands.

It is an official Ministry document. The Lestranges' divorce has been finalized, and Bellatrix's maiden name has been legally reinstated as her last name.

I find myself wishing that Narcissa could be here to share the news with her (and take the blame for having it done behind her back, if need be), but there's no telling how long it will take them to track Rodolphus down and drag him back here. For now, I must inform the Dark Lord of this development.

But first I need to put out the fire in the kitchen...


	55. Chapter 55

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 54: Replacement  
( _Voldemort_ )

"Bella..."

I wake her as gently as possible. She slowly drifts back to consciousness.

"You got up without me," she mumbles into the pillow, sounding disheartened.

"A few minutes won't hurt you." I try not to let my annoyance show. If she's going to start the day in a petulant childish mood, then it's only going to make breaking the news to her about the divorce more difficult.

I slip back into bed beside her. The sheets are still warm from when I got up before.

I drape my arm loosely arcoss Bella's shoulders, and she snuggles against me and murmurs, "I'm hungry." This only makes things worse, since Lucius practically burned the kitchen down once already this morning and still hasn't managed to get any food cooked.

"Breakfast isn't ready yet. Lucius and Draco will bring it up when it's done," I tell her quietly, stroking her hair soothingly. "Before that, there's something I need to tell you..."

( _Bellatrix_ )

"You  _what_?" I gasp when he tells me what he's done.

"It's for your own good," he says softly.

Taking my left hand in both of his, he slips my rings off my finger and tosses them carelessly onto the nightstand. One bounces off and rolls under the bed.

My hand feels naked without them. An odd feeling bubbles in my chest. I don't know whether I want to laugh or cry, to embrace my freedom or to panic.

My lord draws my hand to his mouth and lightly kisses my empty ring finger before sliding something else onto it.

"I'll give you this to replace them."

I hold my hand in front of my face to see what he's put on me. There is a tiny snake coiled around my finger, a thin band of intricately detailed silver with two shards of emerald for eyes. It is beautiful, exquisite... and more than that, it is something that I have seen him wear before. I never realized exactly how slender his fingers are. The ring is a perfect fit on me.

"I-"

And then his mouth is on mine, making further speech impossible. I've forgotten what I wanted to say anyway.


	56. Chapter 56

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 55: Hunger  
( _Draco_ )

Father stays downstairs, trying desperately to get the kitchen back into some semblance of order before other Death Eaters looking to fix some food wander into that disaster zone.

Leaving me to take the tray up to the master bedroom by myself. I don't mind taking care of Aunt Bella when they leave me with her during meetings, but being in the Dark Lord's presence still makes me nervous.

The door is partially open when I get there. The sight that I am subjected to is one that makes me want to go and clean my brain. With fire.

I don't think either of them noticed me. I back away slowly.

( _Bellatrix_ )

He isn't particularly gentle but it isn't violent, either. His hands grip my shoulders as he kisses me roughly, hungrily - as if he is laying claim to me.

I return the kiss with equal passion, my fingers clutching at the front of his robes as I open my mouth to his sweet invasion.

( _Voldemort_ )

Draco thinks I don't notice him. He seems disinclined to interrupt, so I choose to ignore him. He quietly slips away, taking our breakfast with him. Oh, well. We can always eat later. Bella seems to be hungry for something other than food right now...

( _Bellatrix_ )

My lord lifts his mouth from mine and begins to trail hot kisses down my neck. A tremor of nervousness breaks through my mental haze as I realize that this could lead to something else, something I am not sure that I am ready for.

"My lord," I gasp out. "We have to stop! They'll be here soon, with breakfast."

( _Voldemort_ )

Damn it.


	57. Chapter 57

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 56: Unreasonable Behavior  
( _Voldemort_ )

"Sorry that took so long," Lucius apologizes as he enters with the breakfast tray - sounding more annoyed than apologetic. "Draco seems to have had an encounter with Greyback in the downstairs hallway and is currently hiding in his room." _Damn little coward needs to man up, he'll be seventeen next year. He turned out this way because Narcissa coddles him. I knew I should have put a stop to that when he was younger, God damn it_.

I drink my coffee and pretend I didn't just hear that.

Bella doesn't glance up from the dry toast she is nibbling (unaided) as she says flatly, "Lucius, you're projecting."

Lucius's eyes go wide as he realizes she's heard his thoughts, then narrow as he wonders _why_ she heard it.

I think that he and I both had forgotten that Bella has mastered the art of Legilimency, until she reminded us of it just now. I wonder if this means that her magic is getting stronger again? Not that she's at the point where she can actually grip her wand and have enough concentration left over to be able to cast anything. Wandless spells might be an option at this point, but perhaps it is better not push things. Although I'm certain that she would like to be the one to deal with her ex-husband upon his return...

Lucius hastily clears his mind, and changes the subject.

"What are we going to do about the morning meeting? Seeing as how Draco has... made himself unavailable?" he asks uncomfortably.

Oh, right. Because Narcissa isn't here either. Maybe sending her away was a bad idea after all. Especially considering how upset Lucius and Draco will be if she ends up getting killed...

While my mind goes off track, Bella takes the opportunity to voice her thoughts.

"I'll go down," she says.

"No," I snap immediately. "You know what happened the last time."

"The morning meeting is usually shorter," she argues. "I'll be fine."

"Lucius can miss the meeting."

"But, my lord," Lucius protests. "That will make it look, to the other Death Eaters, as though I have fallen out of your favor."

I fix him with a sharp glare.

"And how, exactly, would that not be the _truth_?" I snarl. "Do not confuse family matters with Death Eater business."

Despite the fact that I am in the process of harshly rebuking her brother-in-law, Bella chooses this moment to melt against me. Oh, dear God, she's gone into one of her _please-don't-leave-me_ moods again.

"Please," she whispers.

"Bella." I sigh. "I don't want to risk your health."

She nestles her head in the crook of my neck and murmurs, "Then stay with me."

Fucking hell! Why is everyone in this family so unreasonable?

"Bella... fine, you can come to the meeting."


	58. Chapter 58

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 57: You Must Admit  
( _Lucius_ )

" _IF_ you share the news of your divorce with the other Death Eaters," the Dark Lord finishes.

Bellatrix jerks away from him as if she's been slapped, her expression almost comically caught between hurt and disbelief.

"Bella," he says firmly. "You're almost four months along. If you're going to be showing up at meetings, the others are bound to notice sometime - likely soon, at the rate you've been gaining weight lately - that you're pregnant."

I'm sure I sound like an idiot but I can't help asking, "My lord, are you saying that you're going to make your affair with Bellatrix publicly known?"

He scowls and says darkly, "We'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, we need to get the matter of the divorce out in the open. This is why I listed the 'reason for divorce' as 'infidelity' not 'abuse'..."

I feel a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth as I reply, "Even if you _had_ listed the reason as 'abuse', the Ministry officials and Death Eaters alike would have assumed that Bellatrix was the perpetrator and not the victim, I'm sure."

She _does_ have that kind of reputation.

"That's not funny!" Bella snaps, grabbing a piece of toast from the forgotten breakfast tray and flinging it in my face.

I hear the Dark Lord snickering quietly, although I can't tell whether he is laughing about what I said or Bellatrix throwing a piece of toast at me.

I can't help it, I burst out laughing. Then we're all laughing, so hard our eyes are watering.

Bellatrix tries to tell us that it's not that funny, which just makes us all laugh harder.

The laughter dies in my throat when Bellatrix fixes me with a thoughtful look and says, "Wait, if you're here and Draco is hiding in his room, then who's watching Darius?"


	59. Chapter 59

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 58: The Letter  
( _Draco_ )

I lied to my father about having an encounter with Greyback. Admitting what had actually happened was just too... I don't even want to THINK about it, much less say it out loud - and to _my father_ , of all people!

I go back to my room and take out the letter - my last letter from Pansy. The parchment is worn from being carried around in my pockets and the ink is faded and practically illegible but I've read over it so many times already that I know the contents by heart. I curl up in the armchair under my window and begin to read over it again.

**_Dear Draco,_ **

I am interrupted by a knock at my door. No one else should even be on this floor of the house except for my father and the Dark Lord, both of whom would not bother to knock if they wished to enter my room.

"Uncle Darko!" a tiny voice squeaks from the other side of the door.

Ah, it's Darius. My father must have left him in the kitchen. I'm impressed the little brat managed to make it up here and find one of us on his own without being seen by anyone else. He's only three.

I get up and let him in.

"My name is Draco," I tell him. "Not Darko."

"Darko," the child repeats stubbornly.

I give up. I don't even know how much longer this kid is going be allowed to live so I don't really see the point in teaching him to say my name correctly, even though it _is_ annoying to hear him call me wrongly.

I take out my practice snitch and let him chase it around the room while I go back to my letter.

__**Dear Draco,  
I'm sorry,  
But I can't see you anymore.  
My father has forbidden it.  
I still love you.  
If the Dark forces win, I'm sure we'll be allowed to be together.**

_**love, Pansy** _


	60. Chapter 60

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 59: Golden  
( _Bellatrix_ )

"Well, where's the last place you remember seeing him?" the Dark Lord asks.

Lucius stops lamenting his own stupidity long enough to answer, "In the kitchen."

Before our master has a chance to order the idiot to go look in kitchen for the child, the door bangs open and Draco enters the room with Darius on his hip and a feebly struggling Golden Snitch clutched in his other hand.

"Isn't it almost time for the meeting to start?" he asks, seeming confused as to why the Dark Lord and his father are both still here.

"Yes, but Bella's being clingy this morning," the Dark Lord replies sourly. He's obviously irritated with me, which wasn't my intention when I started acting that way. He turns to me and says firmly, "You're not coming down to another meeting until you're strong enough to walk on your own."

Then he cups the back of my neck with one hand and presses a hard, searing kiss to my mouth before he disapparates.

Lucius simply leaves through the door. Draco closes it behind him, then releases both Darius and the Golden Snitch. The child promptly begins to chase the flying ball all over the room.

"Well," Draco says uncomfortably. "What do you want to do today, Aunt Bella?"

"After breakfast, I want to practice walking."

My nephew looks distinctly upset at this prospect but doesn't argue with me.

Darius gives up on chasing the snitch and climbs up on the bed beside me.

"I thought you couldn't walk, Grandma Bella," the child says, looking at me curiously.

"I'm trying to get better," I explain awkwardly. I don't know how to make a three year old child understand that I'm recovering from injury and near-fatal starvation, especially when I've already told him that in those exact words.


	61. Chapter 61

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 60: Nap Time  
( _Draco_ )

After about five minutes of trying to walk, Aunt Bella collapses against me and says weakly, "Enough."

I lift her into my arms without too much trouble (she's still pretty light, although she _has_ been gaining some weight lately) and carry her to the bed, where she promptly curls up and goes to sleep.

Darius, who had been playing quietly in the corner with a dragon puppet while the walking practive was going on, now drops the puppet and climbs up onto the bed.

"I take a nap too," he announces, then flops down on the mattress and snuggles against Aunt Bella's back.

She _pretends_ to like the kid, but I know that she actually hates to have such a filthy-blooded creature touching her. Once Darius drifts off, I levitate his unconscious body and deposit it in the chair - without waking either of them.

She should be alright on her own for the duration of the meeting, but instead of taking chances on her health, I tuck her in and lay down beside her - close but not touching. She unconsciously reacts to my body heat and shifts closer to me. I'm still uncomfortable cuddling with my aunt (especially after what I saw earlier this morning) but I grit my teeth and endure it.


	62. Chapter 62

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 61: What She Needs  
( _Voldemort_ )

The meeting runs long and I'm glad that I didn't give in to Bella's whining. I just hope she hasn't spent the whole time begging her nephew to help her go against my orders.

When I get back to the master bedroom, I see that my worries were completely unfounded. Bella is sleeping peacefully. The expression on Draco's face is priceless. He looks absolutely horrified as his sleeping aunt snuggles closer to him, whispering my name...

"Draco."

He startles when I call his name.

"Take  _that_  back to your room with you," I command, indicating the child sleeping in the armchair.

Draco looks relieved as he hastens to obey.

Once we are alone, I slip into the bed beside Bella and gently waken her. She opens her eyes and gives me a sleepy smile. I lean down to kiss her, hoping for a continuation of what we started earlier... But when I put my hand in her hair, it feels slimy against my fingers and I pull away in disgust.

"When was the last time you had a bath?"

"Four or... maybe five days ago...?" she answers sheepishly.

Of course. Narcissa always insisted on being the one to take care of that. (Quite vocally, I might add.)

"It's time you had one."

"Narcissa isn't here," Bella says stupidly.

"I think we can manage without her," I reply dryly, scooping the still-sleepy witch into my arms. "In fact, I think it will go much more smoothly  _without_  her here."


	63. Chapter 63

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 62: Undressing  
( _Bellatrix_ )

I sit on the bathroom counter while my lord runs the bathwater and locates necessary items such as soap, shampoo, washcloths, and towels.

I wonder how he is planning on doing this. Narcissa always treated me like a child, making me sit in the  _empty_  tub (naked) while she (fully clothed) washed me, then she'd pour water over me to rinse the soap off. The Dark Lord obviously has a different strategy, since he is actually filling the tub beforehand.

Then again, he probably doesn't  _know_  how Narcissa did it. She never allowed him into the bathroom during my bath time. Or, more accurately, she threw a hissy fit until he backed down and after a couple of times he stopped trying to fight her on it. When I asked him about it (which was kind of difficult, since that happened back when I could only communicate nonverbally), he said something about picking his battles...

"You can start undressing now," my lord says, snapping me out of my reverie.

I manage to undo the laces on my dress and wriggle out of my panties without his help, but my bra clasp proves to be an obstacle that I can't overcome with my current level of fine motor function. I turn to ask for his help with it and see that the Dark Lord has stripped off his own clothes and is standing there stark naked, his back to me as he shuts off the water.

 _Oh God, he's coming in with me_.

( _Voldemort_ )

When I turn around, Bella is staring at me with a shell-shocked expression. I suppose this is not how her sister does things, seeing as how she's so surprised by it.

She's managed to get herself completely naked, except for the bra. The muscles in her fingers are still too weak to perform such a delicate task, it seems. She reamins frozen in place as I close the distance between us in a few quick steps. I unfasten and carefully remove the offending garment, then lift Bella into my arms in one fluid motion. She shivers - from the chill, I'm hoping, and not because her bare skin is in direct contact with mine.

 _I thought she was OVER that by now_...

She cringes against me as I step into the bathtub.


	64. Chapter 64

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 63: Clean and Dirty  
( _Voldemort_ )

She only tenses up even more once we are in the water.

"Relax, honey," I murmur, hoping that my use of the endearment will help in making her calm down.

I rub her back soothingly and after a moment she settles comfortably against me.

( _Bellatrix_ )

I'm being stupid - I have nothing to be afraid of. We've seen each other naked plenty of times since all of this happened. And I know he's not going to hurt me. But I still can't help being nervous (and maybe even a little embarassed) when we're both naked in the bath  _together_...

Oh, well. The quickest way to get out of this situation is to just get it over with. I force myself to relax.

( _Voldemort_ )

Bella is practically  _purring_  by the time I finish washing her hair. I had no idea that such pleasure could be derived from such a simple action, but she certainly seems to be enjoying the feelings of my hands massaging her scalp and moving through her hair.

"Close your eyes," I warn, and she buries her face against my chest as I pour water over her head to rinse out the shampoo.

Her earlier shyness seems to have completely disappeared.

( _Bellatrix_ )

"Sit up straight so I can wash your neck."

I lift my head and straighten my spine. This action brings my shoulders and chest above the water level and the sudden chill causes my nipples to stiffen. As I feel my lord's hands gliding over my neck and shoulders, I hope he doesn't notice. Or, more accurately, I hope he doesn't notice and think that I am sexually aroused by what he is doing to me.

( _Voldemort_ )

I gently pull her against me so I can wash her back.

I can feel her hardened nipples against my chest. I know its because she got cold, but although I understand that intellectually, I can't stop certain parts of my anatomy from becoming excited.

I place my hands on her waist and lift her up to sit on the edge of the bathtub while I wash her lower half, and hope that she did not notice what was going on with  _my_  nether regions.


	65. Chapter 65

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 64: Soap and Water  
( _Bellatrix_ )

My lord has worked his way up to my thighs and I don't know about him, but I'm starting to get a little turned on now...

"Where does Narcissa keep the razor? Your legs could really use a shave," he says, frowning as he continues to scrub.

Well, I guess that answers my question about whether this is getting him horny or not.

Heat floods my cheeks as his fingers accidently brush against my honey trap.

( _Voldemort_ )

Bella's face flames red as I accidently-on-purpose let my hand brush against a spot I have no reason to be touching. Yes, it's wrong of me. I was just curious as to how she'd react... but obviosuly she isn't ready to be touched like that yet. I don't even want to know how she would react if she thought I did it on purpose.

( _Bellatrix_ )

He grips my waist and lowers me back into the water, but I end up in an uncomfortable position. I move so that I'm sitting in his lap, but he puts his hands on my waist and moves me awkwardly away from him.

"Stop squirming," he says, taking a firm grip on my hips to keep me from moving.

( _Voldemort_ )

"This isn't comfortable! Why are you being mean to me?" she whines, attempting to scoot closer despite my restraining hold.

Her knee brushes against the answer to her question.

( _Bellatrix_ )

Ah, I see. He was trying to keep me from finding out... and he has no idea that I'm feeling the same way.

I lean forward and crush my mouth to his.

He responds immediately, hot and rough, pulling me closer and devouring my kisses as his hands slide up my back to tangle in my hair.

( _Voldemort_ )

I know we shouldn't be doing this but,  _God_ , I want her.


	66. Chapter 66

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 65: Aftermath  
( _Lucius_ )

After taking care of some issues around the house that Narcissa would usually deal with, I go up to the master bedroom to check in with the Dark Lord.

When I enter the room, Bellatrix is sleeping peacefully, looking flushed and happy. Our master is sitting in the armchair, staring at her with a pensive expression.

"My lord, did the two of you...?" The question is out of my mouth before I can stop myself.

" _No!_ " he snaps, too quickly. Then he sighs heavily and admits, "We almost did. I lost control."

I don't know what to say to that. It seems that some of Naricssa's fears may not have been unfounded after all...

As I avoid meeting his eyes, I notice that Draco's Golden Snitch is still fluttering around the room. I snatch it out of the air as it flits past.

"How did she react?" I ask finally, curiousity and worry (but mostly curiousity, since she seems fine) getting the better of me.

He hesitates before answering.

"She would have gone along with it if I'd pushed for it, I'm sure, but she seemed relieved when I called a halt to the proceedings. I told her it would put too much of a strain on her body."

Just from the way he phrased that, I know that he is saying he lied to her about his reason for stopping. I don't think he means to admit it, but I can tell that he truly  _does_  care about her - as something more than just his most loyal follower.


	67. Chapter 67

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 66: Warmth  
( _Bellatrix_ )

The one laying beside me when I wake up is Lucius. He's covered me up with Narcissa's thickest fur-lined cloak on top of the blankets and the only point of contact between our bodies is his hand resting very lightly on my shoulder.

The Dark Lord is nowhere in sight, and I wonder how long I've slept.

"What time is it?" I ask, my voice thick with sleep.

"The evening meeting should be just about over," Lucius replies quietly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I answer, wondering why he's asking and if he knows about what happened between our master and me earlier. If he happened to come into the bedroom while that was going on, I'm sure he must have heard something...

"You're not too cold?" he asks, sounding concerned.

 _Oh, so he wasn't referring to that at all_. Out loud I say, "I'm fine. I feel warm."

"This is good," Lucius says, smiling. "Your body has regained some of its ability to retain heat. That's progress."

Of course I'm happy about this, but at the same time I can't help but worry. _Does this meant that soon my lord will have no reason to stay in my bed at night?_

When I make no attempt to reply, Lucius goes on, "Draco is working on dinner now. It should be ready by the time the Dark Lord gets back from the meeting."


	68. Chapter 68

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 67: Mood Swings  
( _Voldemort_ )

Bella is acting strangely guarded. She was asleep until just before I got back from the evening meeting, so the only thing that happened today that could _possibly_ be bothering her is... what happened between us in the bath.

She seems determined to eat dinner without my assistance. It's almost painful watching her continually drop the fork without ever getting any food into her mouth.

"I hate this!!" she shouts out suddenly, flinging the fork across the room. The plate slides off her lap and crashes to the floor. The fork sticks in the wall.

These temper tantrums of hers are ridiculous. I wonder if these are the infamous "mood swings caused by pregnancy hormones" that I've heard about.

"Sorry," she says, glancing at me. She sounds properly embarassed by her childish behavior.

"I understand that it's frustrating for you," I say with a sigh. "But it's no use trying to force your recovery. You'll be able to do everything for yourself again eventually. Come here."

She seems perfectly comfortable leaning against my shoulder as I feed her from my plate. Perhaps something else is worrying her, after all.

When we're finished with dinner but not quite ready to settle down for the night, I come right out and ask her directly.

"Bella, is something bothering you?"

"I just..." A pained expression slides over her features. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Are you going to stop taking care of me once I get better?"

The question catches me by surprise. Why the HELL is she worrying about something like that...?

"No." I take her hand in mine, fingering the snake ring she now wears in place of her wedding band. "You are mine now." I bring her wrist to my mouth and lightly trace the Mark with my tongue. "Completely."


	69. Chapter 69

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 68: Brought to Bear  
( _Rodolphus_ )

He sent someone to hunt us down. Of course he did, I knew he would.

I did not expect it to be my own brother.

I am even more surprised to see that Narcissa Malfoy is one of the hunters, and wearing the Mark besides. Are blood ties really enough to compel her to do something like this for her sister? I wonder briefly why Bellatrix herself is not among the hunters.

Then there is no more time for thoughts to form, because I am fighting on pure instinct. Melissa and I are outnumbered two-to-one and we've been on the run for weeks.

One side isn't going to come out of this alive, and it looks like it's going to be _our_ side.

( _Narcissa_ )

They fight with the strength of desperation and we lose one of the expendable peons the Dark Lord sent with us, but it isn't long before we bring them to bear.

( _Rodolphus_ )

Or maybe I was wrong and they were ordered to bring us back alive.

Which, of course, is even worse than a kill-on-sight order because it means that we will be subjected to the Dark Lord's wrath...


	70. Chapter 70

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 69: Recovery  
( _Bellatrix_ )

Slowly, steadily, I continue to recover. I still can't use magic, but my body has regained the ability to retain heat. I can stand - and even walk short distances - on my own. I've recovered enough fine motor function to feed myself without dropping the fork (most of the time).

I can manage to go to the bathroom by myself now, which is a relief to both my lord and myself.

My pregnancy is four months along now and it's starting to show. Not that anyone would suspect it if they weren't looking for it. The other Death Eaters certainly don't seem to have a clue... then again, I'm always wearing a thick cloak whenever I sit in on the meetings - which isn't always, or even often. My lord still insists that I must be careful with my health because I am not fully recovered yet.

Telling the other Death Eaters about my divorce wasn't as difficult or embarassing as I'd thought it would be. Keeping my relationship with the Dark Lord a secret from them is harder. It will be made known eventually, but now is not the time.

I am anxious for my sister to return.


	71. Chapter 71

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 70: Getting Lucky  
( _Greyback_ )

I'm one lucky asshole.

Usually me and Alecto have to be really careful so her brother doesn't catch us, because he's all _"NO, you can't, we're purebloods and he's a dirty half-human flea-ridden mongrel"_ all the time.

BUT... Carrow-boy got sent out with Lestrange the younger and prissy little Mrs. Malfoy to hunt down the older Lestrange brother, so it's pretty much been an all-out fuckfest for me and Alecto these past couple weeks.

Well, Alecto's not much to look at, but that's what dark rooms are for, right? And she's into the kinky shit, too. Although I have to be careful not to bite her hard enough to draw blood, cause I would get my ass handed to me by the Dark Lord if I turned one of his precious pureblood Death Eaters into a werewolf.

Of course, I end up getting stuck on guard duty tonight, with Lucius Malfoy of all people...

"You think they'll be back soon?" I ask, trying to make conversation.

"Who knows?" he replies, all snooty like he thinks he's so much better than me. I hate him. I want to sink my fangs into his ridiculously pale throat and-

" _LUCIUS!!_ " a high-pitched female voice shrieks delightedly, interrupting my thought.

( _Narcissa_ )

"Go on," Rabastan says, nudging my elbow. "Amycus and I can manage these two without you."

They each have an unconscious prisoner slung over their shoulders. It's not like I was really doing anything to help them transport them, anyway.

And what a wonderful surprise that Lucius just happens to be on guard duty on the night we return.

( _Lucius_ )

Narcissa runs ahead of the others and throws herself into my arms. I don't think I have ever felt so relieved in my entire life. I didn't even realize exactly how worried I've been until this moment.

( _Greyback_ )

While the Malfoys do that sickening couple-being-reunited thing, I lead Lestrange and Carrow-boy to the the holding cell in the basement that was specially prepared for our prisoners.

I hope there's some meat left when the Dark Lord is done with them.


	72. Chapter 72

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 71: Our Little Darling  
( _Voldemort_ )

Bella isn't beside me when I wake up. I feel a flash of panic before I see her standing at the window, looking out into the night.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I ask as I get out of bed and come up behind her. "You can't sleep?"

I wind my arms around her waist and lean down to nuzzle the back of her neck.

"The baby is awake," she says softly, leaning back against me. "It's moving around a lot."

I can see her reflection in the window. She is smiling.

I lay my hand flat against her stomach.

"You won't be able to feel anything," she says.

I slip my hand under her camisole and place it directly against her skin. I do feel something: a small ripple of movement.

"I can feel it," I whisper.

The reality of it hits me like the proverbial ton of bricks. _That's MY CHILD. In five more months, I am going to be a father_.

"You need to go back to sleep," I say, pressing a kiss to the top of Bella's head. "You, and our little darling."


	73. Chapter 73

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 72: Home Returning  
( _Narcissa_ )

"You need to go back to sleep," he is saying to her just as I'm starting to open the door. "You, and our little darling." Words that I would never have expected to hear come out of the Dark Lord's mouth.

He sounds so sweet and tender, I almost don't want to interrupt their moment. Almost.

Instead of just barging in, I knock lightly before opening the door.

They both look surprised to see me.

"We're back," I say, with a grim smile. "Rabastan, Amycus, and Lucius are standing guard over the prisoners. Alecto Carrow has taken Lucius's place on guard duty at the main gate." I refrain from mentioning that Alecto is probably rolling around in the grass with Greyback rather than providing any actual security measures.

( _Voldemort_ )

With official Death Eater business now taken care of, Narcissa rushes to embrace her sister.

"Bella, you look SO much better," she gushes.

 _I suppose she would to someone who hasn't been here to see her health steadily improve_.

"But, are you ready for what's going to happen next?"

( _Bellatrix_ )

Of course I am. I've been waiting for this moment for what feels like an eternity.

( _Narcissa_ )

She doesn't answer, but an evil smile lights her face.


	74. Chapter 74

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 73: The First Farewell  
( _Rodolphus_ )

We're in the basement in a locked cell, chained to the wall. Melissa is beside me but far enough away that we can't touch. My brother and Lucius Malfoy are standing guard over us, making sure we don't escape. Amycus Carrow is on guard oustide the cell, making sure no one else comes near, I suppose. Not that I suspect I have any allies among the other Death Eaters who would risk trying to set me free.

No one speaks.

Time drags slowly, and it has probably not been more than ten minutes since our arrival when I hear the Dark Lord's voice outside the cell.

"You are dismissed, Amycus," he says coldly.

Then the door swings open and the Dark Lord, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, and Bellatrix all file into the room. Bellatrix is carrying a small child in her arms.

" _DARIUS!_ " Melissa shrieks. The chains clank loudly as she strains futilely to reach her son. When they captured us, my brother told me that he brought the boy here.

Darius tilts his head and looks curiously at his mother, as if he can't figure out what she's screaming about or why she's sitting on the floor.

A flash of fear shows on the child's face as Bellatrix hands him to my brother.

"Grandma Bella?" he squeaks out nervously, reaching toward her - begging silently for her to take him back into her own arms.

"It's okay, sweetie," she says sweetly, smiling. She ruffles his hair affectionately and he calms down somewhat.

He doesn't see the knife in her other hand until after she has already dragged it across his throat.

I think Draco gasps in horror at the sight - I can't tell for sure. Melissa's screams drown out all other sounds.


	75. Chapter 75

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 74: Rage and Hate  
( _Bellatrix_ )

A half hour passes and she has screamed her throat raw before her howls of rage and loss die down and she is able to form words.

"How could you... how could you do that to my baby?!"

"Very easily," I snap, striding toward her. I make sure to stop well outside her range of movement. " _Your_  existence is the reason why  _my_  baby had to die."

She seems surprised by this revelation. Rodolphus's face goes pale as he realizes that I am about to tell his precious daughter (along with everyone else in the room, including the Dark Lord) exactly what he's done to me.

( _Rodolphus_ )

Draco looks as shocked as Melissa at hearing this and my brother is glaring at me in fury, but the others look as though they've heard this before.

"That's right," Bellatrix purrs. "I was pregnant at the same time as your mother was with you, but your father wanted his mistress's child to be his firstborn, so he killed my baby before it even had a chance to be born."

My brother looks like he wants to murder me right here and now. Draco's expression is slowly morphing from shock to hatred.

Melissa turns to me and asks in a stricken voice, "Is that  _true_?"

( _Bellatrix_ )

He closes his eyes and lets his head fall back against the wall.

"Go on, tell your precious bastard child what you did to me."

Melissa's eyes flick breifly to me, but I can see that she isn't ready to believe anything I'm saying.

( _Rodolphus_ )

"Yes," the word claws its way out of my throat. "It's true."

I always rationalized it, made it  _her_  fault. But having my sin laid out before me like this, I can't deny that it was only ever my own fault.

Over the years I've convinced myself that I hate her. But in reality, ever since that moment when I killed my own unborn child, I have hated  _myself_.


	76. Chapter 76

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 75: Cutting Deeper  
( _Rabastan_ )

Watching the scene unfolding before me, I completely forget about the body in my arms until Bella snatches it from me.

"Do you remember me, Melissa?" she drawls as she viciously stabs the child's corpse over and over.

Melissa's gaze is transfixed on the knife as Bella twists it into the corpse's heart, releasing a torrent of still-warm blood that steams slightly in the cool air of the basement dungeon.

"She never met you," Rodolphus answers for her.

"Oh, but you  _did_ ," Bellatrix growls, still addressing Melissa. "You were two years old. In fact, it was the next-to-last time your father saw you before your mother died. Your parents put you down for a nap, but you woke up and wandered off while they were... otherwise occupied." The way she says it clearly conveys that she is implying they were engaged in sexual activities. She is still hacking away at the corpse as she continues, "You climbed up the stairs. You almost fell down them after you got to the top  _but I saved you_."

The last part is accompanied by a particularly vicious stab which causes a severed chunk of flesh and muscle to fall into the small river of blood on the floor with a wet splash. I notice that my brother's eyes are closed and shoot a silent spell at him, forcing him to watch.

"I picked you up and carried you back down. They'd noticed you were missing by that point, and were looking for you. I handed you over to your mother. 'Don't tell him you saw me,' I pleaded, and she promised she wouldn't - I'm sure she saw the bruises on my neck where he'd strangled me the night before."

Another particularly violent slash of the knife sends a tiny hand flying. It lands at my brother's feet and he flinches away from it.

"But the story doesn't end there, little girl," Bella hisses.

 _My mother_... Melissa mouths, but no sound comes out. Her throat must have gone dry from terror.

"No, your mother kept her promise. YOU asked your father, 'Who was the lady I saw on the stairs?' " She makes an awful imitation of a child's voice as she quotes the line. "And do you know what your father did after you and your mother left?  _He broke my ribs_. All of them, every single one. And not with  _magic_  either, with his  _fist_."

I want to kill him. I honestly want to kill my own brother. But I feel that honor should be reserved for Bellatrix.


	77. Chapter 77

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 76: Deathwish  
( _Voldemort_ )

" _And when he was doing it, I wished I'd never saved you. I wished that I had let you fall down the stairs. No, more than that, I wished that I had PUSHED you. I wished that I had killed you like he killed my baby!_ " she screams, and I can tell this is the unfiltered truth. "But I wasn't a killer then," she continues in a calmer tone of voice. "No, not like I am now..."

Draco turns away so he doesn't have to look, but Narcissa and Lucius watch grimly as Bella continues with her slow dismemberment of the body of her ex-husband's bastard grandchild.

Rabastan's gaze is trained on his brother. His thoughts are overflowing with hatred. He never suspected the abuse that early on, and had thought that Bellatrix's seeming inability to produce children was the reason his brother kept a mistress in the first place. If he had known the truth of situation, he would have rescued her from Rodolphus's clutches without hesitation - no matter how much of a scandal running off with his own brother's wife would have caused.

I don't know why the fact that Rabastan used to have a crush on Bella when they were younger surprises me. They're the same age so she was probably closer friends with him during their school years than she ever was with his brother. And from what I've seen in Bella's memories, she used to be a sweet (yet slightly sassy) young thing, trained by her mother from early childhood to become a perfect pureblood wife.


	78. Chapter 78

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 77: Blood  
( _Bellatrix_ )

I allow the mostly-bare skeleton to join its missing pieces on the bloodsplattered floor.

Melissa just stares in horror as I come over and sit beside her (on her left, so I'm beside  _her_ , not between her and Rodolphus.)

My dagger is still dripping with her son's filthy blood. She whimpers as I place the tip against the bare skin of her arm. I lighty trace patterns on her flesh, painting stars and moons on her skin with Darius's blood.

"And after your mother died, it got much worse for me, you know," I pick up the tale where I left off. "Your father started drinking heavily after your mother died and her family wouldn't let him see you."

( _Rodolphus_ )

I know what is coming next, but I can do nothing to stop her from speaking.

"The beatings were worse, the bruises in places harder to hide."

Because I was drunk all the time, I didn't attempt to regulate the force of my strikes when I lashed out at her.

( _Bellatrix_ )

I press the knife down harder, now cutting along the patterns I laid out before. The girl flinches more from what I am saying than what I am  _doing_  to her.

"Some nights he would come home so wasted that he couldn't even recognize me and he would rape me, calling out your mother's name..."

( _Rabastan_ )

She pauses, halting her movement of the knife as well.

"I ended up pregnant again," she hisses, her mouth close to Melissa's ear as if she is telling her a secret - even though she is speaking loudly enough for us all to hear her. Bella grabs Melissa's right arm and begins to replicate the patterns she carved into the left one. "I thought that maybe, having lost you, he would let me keep my baby this time. But he  _didn't remember_  doing it to me. He accused me of having an affair-"

 _Filthy hypocrite_.

"-and when I denied it, he threw me against a wall in a drunken rage. I was six months pregnant."


	79. Chapter 79

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 78: Reap What You Sow  
( _Voldemort_ )

Bella uses the knife to slice away the fabric covering Melissa's shoulders, and continues to scrawl meaningless patterns onto the girl's flesh.

"It wasn't just a mess of blood like the first time," she continues. "No, this time there was an actual body."

I remember seeing this in her memories, seeing her sobbing uncontrollably as she cradled the tiny corpse in her arms.

Draco looks as though he is about to faint, but at the same time seems determined to stay strong for his poor deranged aunt's sake.

Bella jumps up suddenly and moves away from Melissa.

" _It was a boy. You killed your only son!_ " she shouts, addressing Rodolphus for the first time.

I feel Narcissa's hand slip into mine. It takes me a moment to realize that she is offering me comfort, not seeking it from me. I must be letting my feelings show in my expression. I carefully blank my face. Narcissa gives my hand a little squeeze before letting go.

( _Rodolphus_ )

Tears stream down Bellatrix's face as she addresses me directly for the first time, telling me how our second child died. I wish I could look away.

"I knew it was too early, that he wouldn't survive. But he was moving when he came out, he was still alive and for a minture there I  _hoped_... but even with all the healing spells I knew from fixing myself up all the time, there wasn't anything I could have done. He wasn't formed enough, he couldn't  _breath_. I held him, for just a few minutes I held our son in my arms and he was  _alive_... and then... he wasn't anymore..." Her voice breaks as a sob escapes her throat.

( _Lucius_ )

"I named him Draco."

Narcissa gasps and clutches at me, no doubt remembering the day  _our_  Draco was born and Bellatrix came to the hospital to see him, having lost her own son only days before.

I wrap my arm around Narcissa's waist and hold her close, whispering so that only she can hear, "This will all be over soon. Stay strong, Bellatrix needs us here."


	80. Chapter 80

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 79: Tears and Answers  
( _Rabastan_ )

The room is silent except for the sound of Bella's sobbing.

"Why did you stay?" My brother's voice is a cracked whisper. "Why didn't you file for divorce, or at least run home to your family? That's what I meant for you to do from that first time I hit you..."

" _Because I COULDN'T!_ " she screams. " _I was trapped!_   _Andromeda had just run off with that filthy mudblood. I couldn't let my marriage end in failure. I was the oldest - I had to provide the good example for Narcissa_."

I'm sure her sister can't be happy to hear that.

( _Rodolphus_ )

She goes pale and the knife drops from her hand.

"I hate you," she sobs.

"Bella, that's enough!" the Dark Lord snaps, seemingly noticing her condition.

My brother darts forward and catches her just as her legs collapse under her. He glares hatefully at me as he scoops her up into his arms.

( _Rabastan_ )

She is exhausted - emotionally  _and_  physically. From what Narcissa has told me, Bella still hasn't fully recovered from the last beating my brother gave her.

"Lucius, Draco, you two will stay here. You'll rotate guard shifts with Narcissa and Rabastan until Bella is ready to carry out the rest of the punishment," the Dark Lord commands.

( _Voldemort_ )

No others will be involved because this is a family matter.

"Yes, my lord," the Malfoy men reply obediently. It seems Draco is shaping up to be a fine Death Eater in his own right.

"What should we do about...?" Draco gestures vaguely, apparently attempting to indicate Melissa's bleeding.

"Throw salt water over her occasionally," I respond flatly. The cuts are shallow enough that she shouldn't bleed out, even if it takes a few days before Bella is ready to come back.


	81. Chapter 81

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 80: Demons  
( _Rodolphus_ )

I understand that the reason only my brother and the Malfoy family are allowed to stand guard over us is because this is a family matter. I understand the reason that Bellatrix has been chosen to administer our doom. What I don't get is why the Dark Lord is personally overseeing my punishment if he's not planning on taking part in it himself.

Well, maybe he IS planning on torturing me himself after he lets Bellatrix kill my daughter. But somehow I doubt that that's his plan.

I don't want to think anymore. I am physically exhausted and emotionally drained. I don't want to think anymore. I don't want to. But I can't stop myself. Bellatrix used to be a good girl. Sassy, yes, but also sweet. She used to be so gentle. No one would believe that after seeing the sadistic monster I've turned her into, though...

I must have passed out because I am dragged back to consciousness by the sound of Melissa screaming. I look up and see Draco standing over her with a bucket. He must have just doused her with salt water, as per the Dark Lord's instructions.

I start to ask-

But before any sound has a chance to escape my lips, Draco flicks his wand and intones coldy, " _Silencio_."


	82. Chapter 82

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 81: Out of the Blue  
( _Narcissa_ )

Once we reach the master bedroom, Bella seems to realize that she is covered in blood.

"I want a bath," she whines, her voice small and childlike.

"Do you think you can manage on your own?" the Dark Lord asks.

Bella shakes her head no.

He sighs. "Narcissa, take care of her, please. Rabastan and I have things to discuss."

I quickly grab clean clothes for my sister and lead her into the bathroom.

Bella remains silent while I scrub the blood from her skin.

After she's dried and dressed and I've brushed her hair, she suddenly turns to me and says, "Have you kissed Lucius yet? Since you've been back?"

Well, Lucius did kiss me on the forehead when we embraced upon our reunion at the manor gate, but...

"Not on the mouth," I answer, and I'm sure I must be blushing. "Why would you ask something like that?"

"He's been worried about you," she says softly. "And it doesn't look like you're going to have much time together for a while."

"Bella, don't worry about me and Lucius," I tell her, certain I'm blushing again as I continue, "We'll sneak kisses when we change guard shifts."


	83. Chapter 83

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 82: Bolt From The Blue  
( _Rabastan_ )

"There is something I didn't tell you before," the Dark Lord begins. He seems oddly hesitant to tell it to me now.

"What is it, my lord?" I prompt him since he seems disinclined to speak further.

He takes a deep breath and lets it out as a heavy sigh. As if whatever he failed to inform me of before, he has resigned himself to telling me now.

( _Voldemort_ )

No more stalling. He needs to know, so I'm going to just come right out and say it.

"Bellatrix is pregnant with my child."

Rabastan is shocked by the news of Bella's pregnancy, but seems unsurprised to learn that I've slept with her. Apparently most of the Death Eaters are already under the impression that she was having an affair with me, anyway.

( _Rabastan_ )

The Dark Lord waits for my shock to fade before continuing.

"This means that she needs to be guarded carefully while dealing your brother. I don't think the girl will be a problem, but _he_ may fight back."

Yes, I can see why he would be concerned, and more than just for the life of his own child (which I honestly don't know whether he cares for or not). If Bellatrix were to lose another unborn child at my brother's hands, I doubt that what remains of her sanity would remain intact.


	84. Chapter 84

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 83: Girl Talk  
( _Narcissa_ )

Well, I suppose it's a testament to how much better my sister is feeling that she has taken up the mantle of "big sister" again and is trying to look out for me. But really, she doesn't need to worry about what goes on between me and Lucius. I'm embarassed just talking about it.

"You're lucky," she says, leaning against me. "Lucius really loves you."

I never realized before that she must have been jealous because of that.

"Bella..." I say slowly. "You _do_ have someone who cares about you."

She gives me a look like she doesn't quite believe what I'm saying.

"Bella," I sigh. "I know I haven't been very ...supportive... of your relationship with the Dark Lord during all of this, but he seems to honestly care about you, so..." I trail off.

Bella is looking at me curiously, like she doesn't understand what's made me change my mind on the matter when I was so violently opposed to their relationship before. Well, I'm certainly not going to tell her what I overheard last night... Which reminds me, it's morning now.

( _Bellatrix_ )

"Well, I'm going to make breakfast now. You should get some rest," my sister abruptly changes the subject, apparently unable to further articulate her feelings on the matter.

"You should get some rest too, before your shift on guard duty," I tell her, content for now not to question her change of heart. "By the way, did you know Greyback's been fucking Alecto Carrow?"


	85. Chapter 85

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 84: Morning Interlude  
( _Voldemort_ )

By the time the sisters come out of the bathroom, I've already sent Rabastan away to rest until his turn on guard duty.

Narcissa goes off to fix breakfast (which will be a welcome change from Lucius's cooking - which, frankly, _sucks_ ), and Bella slides into my lap.

She lays her head on my shoulder and her body instantly relaxes into mine. I wrap my arms around her waist as she snuggles against me.

"I love you," she murmurs as she starts to fall asleep.

( _Bellatrix_ )

He doesn't respond verbally, but he hugs me tighter and lightly kisses my forehead.

I lift my head and he brushes his lips softly against mine.

( _Voldemort_ )

She moans into my mouth as I deepen the kiss.

( _Bellatrix_ )

He rakes his fingers through my hair as I trace his lips with tip of my tongue.

He pulls away and nuzzles my neck, then trails light kisses down my throat before returning his mouth to mine and kissing me thoroughly.

( _Voldemort_ )

"I love you," she whispers again as I finally break the kiss.

I don't know what to tell her.

( _Bellatrix_ )

"I know you do," he says softly, stroking my hair as I settle against him.


	86. Chapter 86

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 85: Special Request  
( _Narcissa_ )

By the time I return with breakfast, my sister is asleep curled up in the Dark Lord's lap.

He looks up when I enter the room.

"Leave it," he says quietly. "I'll make sure she eats later. Go rest before your guard shift."

"Can I- here...?" The question doesn't exactly come out coherently but he seems to understand what I mean.

"You may," he answers, smirking - apparently amused by my timid request. "Go ahead and take the bed."

He seems perfectly comfortable sitting in the chair with Bella curled up in his lap. I suppose he's spent a lot of time in that position these past few months.

I lie down on the bed, but I'm too wound up to relax. The more I try to calm my thoughts, the more they spiral out of control.

"Narcissa, you're projecting," the Dark Lord tells me, with a sour expression. I guess he must not like what I'm thinking. "Do you want a sleeping drought?"

"No, I'm fine. I think I'll go back to my own room after all."

As I'm leaving the room, I hear Bella murmur "my lord..." in her sleep. I glance back over my shoulder and see him smiling.


	87. Chapter 87

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 86: The Sneaking  
( _Rodolphus_ )

I don't know how much time has passed. I couldn't even begin to guess. Lucius and Draco douse Melissa with salt water at irregular intervals. She is currently passed out, but I suppose she'll be awakened again soon. Lucius seems to regard it as an unpleasant duty, if the looks on his face are anything to tell by, but Draco appears to take a sadistic pleasure in it.

I don't know how much time has passed.

The door creaks open and Narcissa slips inside. At first I think the guard is changing, but Narcissa is alone.

"What are you doing here?" Lucius whispers.

"I just wanted to see you, for a little bit," she replies, leaning in to kiss him.

The room is so silent that I can hear them clearly even though they are whispering.

"You shouldn't be down here," he breathes.

"Just for a little bit," she murmurs against his lips.

They give each other little kisses, hardly more than a peck on the lips each time. Then Lucius gently pushes her away.

"Go rest," he says softly.

Narcissa gives him one last kiss - on the cheek this time - and slips out of the room.

Sometimes I wonder if my relationship with Bella could have been like that, if only I had actually loved her.


	88. Chapter 88

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 87: Tradeoff  
( _Rabastan_ )

I feel refreshed after my nap. I'd almost forgotten how nice it is to sleep in an actual bed.

Narcissa is awake and waiting for me when I leave my room. The change of guard goes off without a hitch.

Not that I _expected_ any problems, since our prisoners aren't really in any condition to try and make a break for it anyway.

Melissa is unconscious and shivering - she'll probably get pneumonia (if she doesn't have it already) from constantly having cold water thrown over her in this chilly underground room... not that she'll live long enough to die from the sickness.

My brother is conscious, and looks miserable - as well he should.

After a few minutes my brother raises his head and asks me why the Dark Lord is personally overseeing his punishment.

The question catches me off guard. Of course I know the answer, but none of that information is anything that should be shared with him. Before I have a chance to get my thoughts in order, Narcissa takes the initiative.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" she says cattily, turning out her left wrist to show off her Dark Mark. "Because you _know_ how much the Dark Lord enjoys having his minions question his authority," she finishes sarcastically.

( _Rodolphus_ )

Huh, so that's why she's got the Mark now.


	89. Chapter 89

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 88: Feeding Time  
( _Voldemort_ )

Bella sleeps for most of the day. Sometime around noon I move her to the bed. I leave her by herself for a few minutes while I use the bathroom. (That muggle saying about p _issing like a racehorse_ springs to mind...)

I'm not really tired. I haven't done much today other than stand around. But I lie beside her and nap anyway, seeing as I have nothing better to do.

It is early evening when she finally wakes.

The first words out of her mouth are (of _course_ ): "I'm hungry."

The food from breakfast is no longer fit to be eaten since it's been sitting out all day (I silently curse myself for not casting some kind of stasis spell over it), and Narcissa is on guard duty right now.

"We'll have to go down to the kitchen and fix something."

"Okay," she agrees sleepily.

The hallways are mostly deserted at ths time of day, so - even though it isn't strictly necessary - I carry her. We do not run into anyone on the way.

Once we reach the kitchen, I set her down in a chair and begin to gather ingredients to prepare a meal.

"I can cook," Bella protests, starting to stand up.

She probably thinks I _can't_. Honestly, I had the same opinion of _her_ until seeing in her memories that she has mastered that particular skill.

" _You_ are going to sit in that chair while _I_ make us some food," I say in a commanding tone.

She sits back down, and looks at me curiously for a moment before coming out and asking, "Do you know how to cook, at all...?"

"Yes," I respond tersely. "I learned to fend for myself when I was a teenager."

She doesn't press for further information. I hate talking about my past, and I'm sure she can see that I'm irritated just thinking about it.

While we're eating, the Carrow siblings wander into the kitchen looking for food. Amycus looks like he's been in a duel recently... and lost.

Bella shoots him a catty smile and says, "How's Greyback?"

"I kicked his ass!" Amycus snaps.

"Oh, really?" Bella asks in a theatrically overdone tone of disbelievement.

Alecto snickers.

Apparently Amycus picked a fight with Greyback and got the shit kicked out of him. Just because Greyback is a werewolf doesn't mean he isn't any good with a wand...

Bella leans close to me and says in a stage whisper, "You know Greyback is totally sleeping with Alecto, right?"

Alecto's face is a mask of fear.

I roll my eyes.

"I don't give a fuck _who_ he's fucking, as long as he doesn't make any more werewolves."


	90. Chapter 90

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 89: Not Ready  
( _Bellatrix_ )

The Carrows are settling in at the kitchen table just as my lord and I finish eating. We leave the room, but I pause outside to eavesdrop.

"See, the Dark Lord approves of my relationship with Greyback," Alecto says to her brother.

"He doesn't _approve_ , he just doesn't _care_ ," Amycus argues, sounding irritated. He obviously expected the Dark Lord to back him up on the matter and forbid Alecto from getting hot and sweaty with Greyback.

"Which amounts to the same thing," Alecto counters. (Basically, permission.)

My lord's hands grip my shoulders. I turn to him with a guilty expression on my face. He does not look amused...

 _I'm sorry_ , I mouth silently.

He smirks a little and leans down to whisper in my ear.

"No, it's good to see you acting like yourself again. But we shouldn't be wasting our time with things like this right now. Are you ready to go back to the dungeon?"

I'm not ready. I'm afraid of what will happen when I do. I went crazy last time. I'd always planned to kill the child in front of them, but the rest of that? None of it was planned. I snapped. I went insane. I did things I don't even want to think about.

I'm not ready to go down there again.


	91. Chapter 91

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 90: Too Much Time  
( _Rodolphus_ )

The guard has changed again, back to Lucius and Draco. Which makes this the third session of guard duty since the Dark Lord left. Each guard shift can't have been shorter than a few hours each, probably more along the lines of four to six hours.

Any way I add it up, it seems to have been too much time.

I'm starting to wonder if there's something really _wrong_ with Bellatrix, after the way she collapsed...

No, of course there's not. She's like a cockroach - resilient to a point almost beyond human comprehension. There is nothing wrong with her, I'm sure. I don't even know why I'm worrying about her. _It's not like she has feelings_.

Still, it seems as though too much time has passed.


	92. Chapter 92

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 91: Fears  
( _Voldemort_ )

She shakes her head.

"I want to sleep more."

It's not a lie, per se, but it isn't the truth either. She is perfectly well-rested and does not need any more sleep right now.

I can see that she is afraid, that she is trying to put off returning to the basement room to finish what she started. But humoring this behavior now will only allow her fears to build, and compound her inner torment.

"You're fine," I whisper, kissing her forehead. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'll be right there to protect you if anything happens."

She latches onto me, her hands desperately clutching the front of my robes.

"You saw what I did last time," she says, looking up at me with wide, panic-stricken eyes. "If I start to do anything like that with the girl, you have to stop me."

Ah, I see now. It isn't her ex-husband that she fears. It is _herself_.

After all, no one _wants_ to be crazy.


	93. Chapter 93

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 92: Time To Say Goodbye  
( _Rodolphus_ )

The door creaks open slowly. Narcissa and my brother enter the room, and my first thought is that my sense of time is more screwed up than I previously thought, because it seems like it was only a few minutes ago that the guard shift last changed. Then the Dark Lord stalks into the room, with Bellatrix trailing after him.

It looks like it's torture time again. I find myself hoping that Bellatrix will decide to only use the torture curse, and not carve my daughter up before my eyes like she did to my grandson's dead body. Although I'm sure that's too much to hope for. This _is_ Bellatrix we're talking about, after all.

( _Bellatrix_ )

Melissa is in bad shape. Her wounds are closed and starting to scab, and haven't become infected (the salt took care of that), but she is unconscious and shivering - she's probably contracted a cold, or something worse.

She hasn't really done anything wrong besides _existing_ , and marrying mudblood scum. I could almost feel sorry for her, if it wasn't for the fact that her very existence ruined my life.

I reach down and grab her by the hair, jerking her head up off the ground.

( _Rodolphus_ )

"It's time to say goodbye to your daughter, Roddy," Bellatrix says in a falsely cheerful voice, using a childhood nickname that she hasn't called me by since she was nine.

( _Bellatrix_ )

I shove my knife through the side of the girl's neck, pushing it in until the point breaks through the skin at the other side.

( _Rodolphus_ )

She twists the knife sharply. Warm blood sprays the side of my face.

"Well, say it," Bellatrix says expectantly.

It isn't until my brother's Imperious curse hits me that I say softly, "Goodbye, Melissa."


	94. Chapter 94

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 93: Scream  
( _Voldemort_ )

The girl is already dead by the time Bella pulls the knife out. She doesn't seem inclined to dismember the corpse as she did with the boy. I watch her carefully anyway, wondering how she expects me to stop her if she _does_ snap like last time.

She drops the knife and draws her wand, moving to stand in front of Rodolphus.

( _Rodolphus_ )

I close my eyes, bracing myself for the pain.

" _Crucio!_ " she snaps coldly.

( _Voldemort_ )

But nothing happens.

 _Shit_.

She still can't focus enough to actually cast the spell while also keeping grip on her wand.

( _Rodolphus_ )

" _CRUCIO!_ " She screams it this time.

But still, the pain doesn't come. I open my eyes.

Bellatrix's gaze is flicking rapidly back and forth between me and the wand in her hand, as though she can't quite understand why the spell didn't work.

"I can't," she says faintly, sounding stricken. She sinks to her knees. "I _can't_ ," she repeats, more forcefully this time.

Maybe somewhere in her heart she can't bring herself to hurt me, even after all I've done to her?

I feel something break inside me, and everything I've been holding in all this time bursts from my throat.

( _Voldemort_ )

His eyes are fixed on her as she starts to break down.

His expression changes suddenly: to sorrow, to loss, to regret, to remorse.

"I'm sorry," he blurts out. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry-"

( _Rodolphus_ )

She screams. My brother and her sister are at her side in an instant, wrapping their arms around her in an attempt to comfort her while pointing their wands at me - as if I actually pose any kind of threat in my current condition.

( _Voldemort_ )

He continues to babble out his worthless - yet in his own mind heartfelt - apology. She covers her ears with her hands and shrieks until he stops speaking.


	95. Chapter 95

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 94: Losing It  
( _Bellatrix_ )

I feel strange. My body feels hot and awkward and wrong.

I feel something warm and sticky running down my thigh. Panic hits me in a hot rush.

 _Oh please God, do not let me lose my baby_.

( _Rodolphus_ )

Trembling and whimpering, Bellatrix huddles closer to her sister. Narcissa shoots me a death glare as Bella begins to cry, then puts her wand away and focuses only on trying to comfort her sister.

I hear footsteps over the sound of Bella's quiet sniffling, and my attention is distracted from my wife for a moment. I look up and find myself staring into my master's red eyes.

Then he speaks.

" _Avada Kedavra_."

( _Rabastan_ )

Apparently deciding that things have gone far enough, the Dark Lord steps in and kills my brother. I feel no sadness over his death. I never liked my brother much, anyway. Bella was always too good for him. He should have just married his half-blood whore, then none of this would have ever happened.

( _Narcissa_ )

The Dark Lord kneels beside us on the dusty bloodstained floor. I let go of Bella as he takes her into his own arms.

"It's alright," he whispers, kissing her hair. I am amazed by the tenderness in his voice. "Everything is going to be alright."

Bella clings to him, sobbing.


	96. Chapter 96

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 95: Put To Rest  
( _Voldemort_ )

I can practically feel the panic radiating off of her as I carry her upstairs. Her thoughts are forming and breaking apart so quickly that I can't get a solid idea of what is going through her mind.

( _Bellatrix_ )

"Bella, it's over. Calm down."

My lord's feeble efforts at comfort do nothing for me. I suppose he might try harder if he knew what was worrying me but even if I could form a coherent sentence right now, I do not want to put the thought into words. Saying it out loud will make the possibility more real.

When we make it to the master bedroom, he sits down in the chair and settles me in his lap.

I turn so I am facing forward, with my back against his chest.

I pull up my skirt and look. I don't see any blood...

I put my fingers to the wetness on my thigh. They come away sticky with a clearish-white fluid. I am assaulted by a sharp familiar scent that puts my fears to rest.

( _Voldemort_ )

Her head falls back against my shoulder and she says, "I think I came."

( _Bellatrix_ )

No wonder I felt so odd back there. I've never derived sexual pleasure from torturing anyone before. I had no idea that seeing Rodolphus chained down and begging for forgiveness would turn me on so much.


	97. Chapter 97

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 96: Night Whisper  
( _Lucius_ )

After the bodies are buried, we all return to our rooms.

Narcissa insists that we both need a bath, which - even though we take it together - turns out to not be sexy at all since we are both tired and filthy.

Afterward, as we lay curled up in bed together, Narcissa murmurs, "I hope Bella's okay."

"Do you want to go check on her?" I ask.

"No," Narcissa breathes, snuggling closer. "The Dark Lord is taking care of her. I'm sure she'll be fine. I just can't help worrying about her..."

Huh. She used to be so opposed to her sister having anything to do with our master. I wonder what caused her change of heart, but I do not question it.


	98. Chapter 98

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 97: Night Laughter  
( _Voldemort_ )

She laughs, leaning back against me. It is relieved laughter, the kind that comes when an adrenaline-fueled fear dissolves into a ridiculous conclusion. (Kind of like an M. Night Shamalyan movie - not that I'm admitting I indulge in muggle entertainment sometimes... Well, the wizarding world just doesn't have anything that _compares_ to television or movies...)

Her giddy laughter is infectious and I find myself joining her - chuckling _at_ her for being unable to control her own laughter.

Then she turns around and kisses me.

The usual shyness and hesitance that often accompany this action are absent.

Even after the divorce, only his death could well and truly liberate her from her husband's clutches. Now she is reveling in her newfound freedom.

She doesn't wait for me to respond, instead trailing light kisses along my jaw. Her tongue darts out to lick the shell of my ear, then she lowers her head and begins to kiss and nip at my neck.

I can't even begin to guess whether or not she will regret this when she comes to her senses, so I simply wind my arms around her waist and resolve to enjoy this moment for what it is.


	99. Chapter 99

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 98: Heat  
( _Narcissa_ )

Lucius nuzzles my cheek, wrapping his arms more tightly around me and whispering, "Goodnight."

And then we're kissing, my hands in his hair, his hands cupping my ass as he rolls onto his back and pulls me on top of him.

Suddenly I don't feel tired anymore. The only thing I want to do right now is make hot sweaty love to my husband who I've been away from for weeks and barely seen in the twenty-some-odd hours since I got back... and who, as my sister reminded me, I am so lucky to be loved by.

" _Narcissa_ ," Lucius moans, hissing on the S's when I give his bottom lip a sharp nip. I giggle.

His hand tangles in my hair and he crushes his lips to mine in a hard kiss. I open my mouth for him but he doesn't take the natural course of action. He knows I know that he hates to be bitten and now he is teasing me, not giving me everything that I want.

I pull my mouth away from his and work my way down his neck, licking and nipping. His hands knead my hips as I proceed to give him what will no doubt be a hickey later in the hollow of his throat.

He moans with displeasure as I continue my ministrations.

"Why are you Black girls all _biters_?" he grits out. "I bet Bellatrix is, too."

_What "all"? There's only two of us, well technically three, but how would he know about whether Andromeda was or not...?_

"What 'all'?" I snap aloud, sitting up.

"I _hate_ being bitten," Lucius growls.

Which doesn't answer my question.

He shifts his hips, causing me to slide off his lap onto the bed beside him. He wraps his arms around my waist and traps me against his chest. (Not that I'm complaining aboiut being pressed against him... but I'm not particularly enjoying having my arms pinned immobile between our bodies.) Only then does he answer my question.

"Some halfblood warned me about Andromeda when I was thirteen."

"You fancied Andromeda when you were thirteen?" I say in disbelief. (Or maybe _shriek_ would be more accurate, from the way Lucius flinches...)

"I had something of a crush on Bellatrix actually, but had figured Andromeda as a more attainable target."

Well, there's something I never knew about him. But he dated lots of other girls before I ever went out with him, so it isn't as though he simply decided to go for the youngest sister after ruling out the older two as his possible future wife.

"I was thirteen!" he says defensively, apparently mistaking my silence for anger. "All boys like older women at that age! I didn't even _know_ you back then!"

I laugh at him.

"I'm not mad," I say. "You just never told me that before. And no one else did, either..."

"Well, not many people knew about it."

Silence falls between us but it is not an uncomfortable silence. The _position_ I am in, on the other hand...

"Will you let me go if I promise not to bite?"

"No," Lucius says slowly. "I'll only let you go if you promise to-" He whispers something in my ear that makes my cheeks flame red.

"Okay."


	100. Chapter 100

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 99: Night Murmur  
( _Bellatrix_ )

My lord wraps his arms around my waist but is otherwise unresponsive, which is not very encouraging.

After a moment, he loosens his hold and murmurs, "Turn around."

"Why?" I ask in surprise, nonetheless complying with his order.

"Because," he breathes. "I've wanted to do this for a long time."

His hands slide up my ribcage to cup my breasts as he begins to kiss the back of my neck. I gasp at the sensation and lean into his touch. I feel him smile against my skin.

( _Voldemort_ )

I had always imagined that Bella would be a very vocal lover. (Not that I've spent a lot of time fantasizing about her...)

God, just hearing the sounds she's emitting makes me want to-

"Let's move to the bed," she says suddenly.

"Why?" I question, lifting my mouth from her skin.

"Because... Narcissa has told me stories about when she had sex with Lucius _in_ _this chair_."

There's an image I didn't need.


	101. Chapter 101

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 100: Reality vs. Fantasy  
( _Voldemort_ )

I carry her over the bed and we settle into pretty much the same position we had been in when we were in the chair.

I brush her hair away from the back of her neck and place soft kisses against the tender flesh there.

" _Master_..." she moans.

I freeze. I swear she is doing this to me on purpose.

"Do not call me that."

"Why?" she asks, sounding genuinely surprised.

Do I really have to explain to her that if she calls me that while we're doing this, it feels like a badly constructed master/slave fantasy?

"When we are alone, you may call me by my name," I say instead.

"Lord V- mmm... no, I can't!"

I suppose it's ingrained too deeply in her mind as something she _isn't_ allowed to say.

I sigh. " 'My lord' is fine, but not 'Master', please..."

A small smile forms on her face as she realizes why I do not wish her to address me that way at a time like this.

"Yes, _master_ ," she purrs throatily, turning snuggle against me.

She is obviously enjoying teasing me. Rather than arguing with her about it, I press my mouth to hers in a hard kiss. She responds eagerly.


	102. Chapter 102

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 101: Emergency  
( _Greyback_ )

It's early.  _Way too fuckin' early_ , in my opinion. Me and Alecto just came off guard duty on the main gate and we have enough time to eat and catch a quick nap before the morning meeting, but it's so fuckin' early I doubt anyone else is up yet... much less that anyone might have cooked breakfast. Cooked meat is nice. I don't like eating it raw all the time, even though I do eat it that way a lot out of necessity. Alecto can't cook worth shit, either, cause her family always had house elves to do that for them. It's too bad the Malfoys don't have one anymore...

When we go in the kitchen, someone else IS in there - Draco Malfoy. And he cooked breakfast, too. There's even enough leftovers for me and Alecto to have some. But Draco isn't eating his. He's staring at a piece if paper in his hand. A letter, probably.

"I have to go," he whispers. Talking to himself, since he doesn't seem to have noticed that anyone else is in the room.

( _Alecto_ )

The letter slips out of his hand, landing in his coffee cup and immediately becoming so soaked with the dark brown liquid that the writing will probably be completely destroyed if anyone were to try and read it later.

I grab him by the wrist as he tries to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" I ask. He is officially a Death Eater now and knows he isn't allowed to just run off to hell-knows-where.

"Let me go, I have to go!" Draco wails, panicked.

" _Where?_ " I snap, shaking him.

This time he answers. "I... Pansy ran away from home, to come here, to be with  _me_ ," he blurts out in a rush, the words tripping over each other.

( _Draco_ )

"I couldn't help overhearing that," a new voice breaks in, one that snaps me out of my panic.

"Aunt Bella..."

She and my mother are standing in the doorway.

"I'll tell your father and the Dark Lord where you're going," she continues. "So go and bring your little girlfriend home safely."


	103. Chapter 103

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 102: Morning Chatter  
( _Narcissa_ )

"Do you... really think that was alright...?" I ask once Alecto and Greyback are gone.

"It'll be fine," Bella answers, sounding completely sure of herself. "Draco is already seventeen. He has to become a man  _sometime_. Going out there alone, retrieving and protecting his future bride... He left here a boy and he'll come back a man, you wait and see if he doesn't."

Well, that settles that, I suppose. If she thought the Dark Lord would have any objection to Draco's quest, I'm certain she wouldn't have encouraged it in the first place.

"So..." Bella says slowly as I begin to fix breakfast. "I saw that nasty-looking hickey on Lucius's throat." When I fail to respond, she continues, "I can't  _believe_  he lets you do that to him."

"You don't, then?" I ask curiously.

"What,  _bite_?" she asks, taken aback. "Maybe little nips here and there, but nothing like..." She trails off, shaking her head. "Does Lucius  _enjoy_  you being so vicious in bed?"

I can't help laughing a little at her assumption.

"He hates it."

"Then why do you do it?" she asks, nonplussed.

"Because  _I_  like to."

"Doesn't he get angry?" Bella asks, and from her tone it's clear that she's wondering how Lucius and I ever end up having sex at all.

"Mmm, not angry so much as irritated." I'm tired of this line of questioning, so I change the subject. "So, how was last night for you and the Dark Lord?"

"What makes you so sure that we even...?" She sounds flustered, embarassed now that we're talking about  _her_  sex life and not mine.

"The sheets are a different color from the ones that were on the bed last night, you were actually wearing a nightgown and not your day clothes to bed for once, your hair was still damp as if you'd had a bath in the middle of the night, you were both more naked than usual..." I'm sure I blush a little as I say that last one, because when I saw the Dark Lord shirtless this morning I  _kept_  looking. Not that I would admit that to my sister, although I'm sure Lucius noticed.


	104. Chapter 104

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 103: Morning Mischief  
( _Voldemort_ )

"Bellatrix... seemed well this morning..." Lucius says awkwardly.

"I was gentle with her," I tell him. It's perfectly obvious that he's figured out what went on between us last night, so I see no reason to mince words.

"I... really don't need to hear about it," he responds uncomfortably. An embarassed flush creeps up his neck - highlighting several small, poorly concealed bruises. Younger siblings to the dark scab-encrusted suckmark in the hollow of his throat, I'm assuming.

"You really should cover those up better before you go down down to the morning meeting," I say, and Lucius becomes even more embarassed by my remark.

I don't know why talking about our sexual encounters bothers him so much. I'm sure Bella and Narcissa have already shared all the dirty details with each other.


	105. Chapter 105

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 104: The Call  
( _Bellatrix_ )

We're on our way back upstairs, bringing breakfast to our men. Well... Narcissa is the one carrying the tray. She wouldn't let me help her cook, either. I mostly just sat at the table and filled her in on all the dirty details of what the Dark Lord and I were up to last night, and listened to her tell me all the things she did to Lucius. I guess it's true what they say about your sexual persona being the opposite of your everyday persona... I'll bet Lucius is glad that no one ever taught my sister the Cruciatus Curse.

About halfway up the staircase I stop to catch my breath, clinging hard to the handrail. Going down it earlier was easy enough, but walking  _up_  the stairs may be a little bit more of a challenge than I'm really ready to handle right now.

"Bella? Is something wrong?" Narcissa asks, noticing that I'm not beside her anymore.

"No... I'm fine... Just out of breath..."

I must sound worse than I think, because Narcissa looks back over shoulder at me in alarm. She was in midstep and the awkward turn makes her lose her footing.

It's all I can do to keep  _myself_  from falling as I watch my sister overbalance and tumble down the stairs. She lands at the bottom in a crumpled heap and lies motionless. As I stare at her in shock, I slowly slide down into a sitting position. Without quite realizing what I'm doing, my fingers find my Mark and press down on it.


	106. Chapter 106

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 105: Stairs and Stares  
( _Voldemort_ )

I feel her calling me and I don't think, I just go to her.

I find her sitting halfway down the staircase, looking like she's about to burst into tears.

"What happened?"

"She fell," Bella whispers, so quietly I almost don't hear it.

Until that moment I had not noticed Narcissa, or rather her absence... My eyes trace the path of Bella's gaze to the bottom of the staircase where her sister lies unmoving.

"Can you get the rest of the way up by yourself?"

Bella shakes her head.

That's what I thought. If she'd been able to get the rest of the way up, she would have come and gotten me rather than resort to touching the Mark.

"Stand up."

Since we're in the middle of the stairs, I can't pick her up without risking falling myself. For a moment I feel an irrational flash of hatred for stairs.

Bella stands and I wrap my arm around her waist. She leans against me as I guide her carefully to the top of the staircase.

"Stay here and wait for me while I go and get Narcissa."

Bella just nods in response. She seems too stunned to think of doing anything else anyway.


	107. Chapter 107

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 106: Seeking  
( _Draco_ )

I have only a very general idea of where to even begin looking for Pansy.

But I am the only person she can count on right now. She ran away from home to be with me. Well, actually, she waited until a Hogsmead weekend (which I don't know WHY the school is still allowing with the war going on) and snuck out of the village, rather than try sneaking out of the Hogwarts castle itself.

Her father must have been furious when he found out, and is probably looking for her. I'll have to be careful not to cross paths with him if I can help it. I would hate to have to get in a fight with (and possibly kill) him, seeing as how I'm going to be marrying his daughter sometime in the near future - whether he approves of the pairing or not.


	108. Chapter 108

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 107: The Rescue  
( _Voldemort_ )

A cursory examination reveals that Narcissa seems to have hit her head badly and broken her left wrist and a few ribs, but she doesn't seem to have sustained any other serious injuries.

I lift her carefully into my arms and carry her upstairs, to where her sister is waiting anxiously.

"Is she...?" Bella's voice is barely a whisper and trails off before she can fully put her question into words.

"She'll be fine. It's just a few broken bones," I answer with more confidence than I feel. I don't know how bad the head injury is. It was enough to knock her unconscious. She might have a concussion.

"How far up did she fall from?" I ask.

"A few steps higher than where I was," Bella answers quietly.

Which doesn't really tell me anything about the severity of Narcissa's injury but it makes Bella feel as though she is being useful, which helps quell her panic.

Bella follows beside me with quick nervous steps as I make my way to the guest bedroom that the Malfoy couple has been inhabiting lately.

"Go tell Lucius what happened."

Bella seems reluctant to leave my side but she follows my instructions anyway, turning and heading for the master bedroom.


	109. Chapter 109

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 108: No Going Back  
( _Pansy_ )

I don't know what I'm doing. I'm lost and dirty and scared. I don't know where I am or how to get where I'm going. I'm so on edge that I jump at shadows and every little sound.

Maybe the letter to Draco was a bad idea. Maybe he doesn't even want me there. Maybe-

 _Stop_ , I tell myself.  _Just stop_.

Still, I can't help feeling like I want to just curl up in a ball on the forest floor and wait until someone finds me... or some _thing_.

That thought is enough to make me keep going.

I have to get to Malfoy Manor. I have to. There is no going back.


	110. Chapter 110

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 109: Headache and Heartache  
( _Narcissa_ )

I wake up with a nasty headache. If I didn't know better, I'd think I have a hangover.

( _Lucius_ )

Narcissa reaches for me as she comes back into consciousness.

She lays her head on my shoulder and mumbles, "I had a dream that I already woke up this morning..."

( _Narcissa_ )

"That... wasn't a dream," Lucius begins hesitantly. "You fell down the stairs."

 _Well, that explains the headache_.

Before I can even think to ask, he continues, "You're fine. The Dark Lord healed you." He sighs heavily. "Bellatrix seems to be blaming herself for your injuries."

( _Lucius_ )

"Where  _is_  Bella?" she asks.

"He took her down to the morning meeting with him," I tell her, even though I'm sure the answer will only make her worry.

( _Narcissa_ )

Of course, with Draco gone and Lucius here watching over me, there was no one else left to look after her.

Thinking about Draco leads me wonder if...

"Did Bella tell you about Draco?"

"What about Draco?" Lucius asks, sounding apprehensive.

Ah, I guess it's up to me to tell him, then...


	111. Chapter 111

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 110: The Affair  
( _Alecto_ )

The Dark Lord is late this morning, but I'm not particularly worried about that. It's his right as our master to keep us waiting if he should so desire. Usually it just means that a select few of us are in major trouble...

What IS worrying is that it's past time for the morning meeting to have begun and the Malfoy couple hasn't shown up. I wonder if their absence has something to do with Draco running off earlier.

The room is filled with quiet murmurings - everyone is wondering why the Dark Lord is late, why the Malfoys aren't here, and if the two things are connected.

Everyone goes silent as the door bangs open and the Dark Lord strides into the room with Bellatrix following slightly behind him, clinging to his arm. She lets her hands drop to her sides when she sees everyone staring.

"Really, Bella, there is no reason for us to hide our affair anymore," the Dark Lord says, smirking as he slides his arm around her waist possessively.

( _Voldemort_ )

The room erupts in whispered mutterings as we make our way to the head of the table.

There were always rumors, but everyone seems surprised to find out that there was any truth to them.


	112. Chapter 112

\- Bitter Echo -

Chapter 111: Density of Amusement  
( _Narcissa_ )

I feel better the next time I wake up. My headache is almost completely gone.

Lucius is laying beside me, softly stroking my hair.

"What time is it?"

"Go back to sleep," he whispers, kissing my forehead.

"What time is it?" I repeat.

"It's still morning," he replies vaguely.

It's kind of cute how much of an idiot he can be sometimes.

"Lucius..."

I slide my fingers under the collar of his shirt, and drag my fingernails lightly across the scab-encrusted love bite in the hollow of his throat. He flinches.

"The morning meeting is already over. The Dark Lord brought Bella by to see you a little while ago while you were asleep," he explains in a rush.

"Why couldn't you just  _say_  that?"

"Because I though you would be upset."

Oh, right. So he thought I would be  _less_  upset by him avoiding answering my question? It really is cute how much of an idiot he can be sometimes.


	113. Chapter 113

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 112: Finders Keepers  
( _Pansy_ )

"You're  _lost_ ," a man's voice startles me out of my thoughts.

I clutch my wand tighter and whip around to face him.

( _Draco_ )

Her jaw drops.

 _Draco?_  she mouths soundlessly, lowering her wand.

( _Pansy_ )

He's not the boy I remember. He looks more like a man now. I didn't even recognize his voice when he called out to me just now.

I swallow and try again.

"Draco? Is it really you?"

"Of course," he says, smiling softly. "If I was an imposter, could I tell you that I flushed your mother's diamond earring down the toilet when we were four and made you promise not to tell?"

I've never told  _anyone_  that story.

( _Draco_ )

She throws herself into my arms.

( _Pansy_ )

He holds me tight, his hands running up and down my back, his fingers raking through my hair despite the tangles and dirt. It feels different from the way he held me before.

"You really were lost, you know," he says softly. "Going in the wrong direction, and everything."

Even the way he speaks to me is different, with none of the arrogance and condescension that was always present when we were in school. There is something tender in his voice.

I guess we've both grown up in the months we've been apart.

"But I found you," he whispers.

Then he kisses me. The way he does  _that_  hasn't changed since we were kids.


	114. Chapter 114

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 113: The Arrival  
( _Rabastan_ )

I  _hate_  pulling guard duty with Greyback. Not because he's particularly unpleasant (he's actually pretty friendly if you don't antagonize him), but because Alecto Carrow always sneaks out to see him. I don't know how she ended up with the werewolf when she's pretty much the only unmarried pureblood woman left who _isn't_  barely legal. There are plenty of unmarried pureblood men her age available - including me. Not that I'm particularly interested in Alecto. I just don't get how she ended up with  _Greyback_  of all people...

And, of course, tonight is no exception. Not ten minutes into our guard shift, the front door opens and Alecto slips out and makes her way across the yard to our guard post at the main gate.

( _Pansy_ )

It is evening when we arrive at Malfoy Manor. A man (I recognize him as one of the Death Eater's who escaped from prison two years ago, although I'm not sure what his name is) lets us in the gate.

"Has anything happened while I was gone?" Draco asks him quietly.

"Not really," the man answers. "The Dark Lord has called off the evening meeting for tonight, but I don't know why."

Draco frowns. Apparently he's interpreted this information as bad news, although  _I_  have no clue what it means at all.

Further conversation is cut short by a cacophony of strange sounds coming from somewhere close by, which startles me.

Draco's arm tightens around my waist.

"It's just Greyback and Alecto Carrow fucking in the bushes," he whispers to me.


	115. Chapter 115

**** \-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 114: Reaction  
( _Bellatrix_ )

In a scene that is almost ironically identical to this morning, I am sitting at the kitchen table while Narcissa fixes dinner. Narcissa seems to be completely fine now.

Lucius and the Dark Lord will be joining us soon, but I think my lord needed a little time alone after having to deal with my clingy, panicky behavior all day. I don't think he's angry with me, just... I know I can be a pain to deal with when I get like that, and he needs a break from being with me sometimes.

Neither of us turn to look when we hear the kitchen door open. So, of course, neither of us are expecting what we hear next.

"Mother, I'm home."

"Draco!" Narcissa's surprised expression quickly morphs into a smile. "Welcome home."

Draco's little girlfriend (what was her name again? Posey? Pansy?) looks terrified as she stammers out, "H-hi, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa walks over and sweeps the girl into a hug.

"Pansy, dear, I'm so glad you made it back alright," she says gently. "You're always welcome here, you know."

Pansy seems a little more relaxed after that... until Draco spots me and says, "Hi, Aunt Bella", drawing the girl's attention to me.

She knows who I am, of course - she's heard about the things I've done - and she goes stiff with fear again.

 _Sorry_ , Draco mouths. I suppose he thinks the girl's reaction hurt my feelings. I know my own reputation, and I even scare  _myself_  sometimes.

 _It's fine_ , I mouth back.

Then he turns back to his mother and says, "I'm going to take her upstairs to get cleaned up."

"Draco," Narcissa says sharply. "Set up one of the guest rooms for her."

She doesn't say it in as many words, but her meaning is clear: her son may be a man now, but my sister isn't going to allow a young unmarried couple to share a bedroom in her house.

Draco responds in the only way that he can.

"Yes, Mother."


	116. Chapter 116

**** \-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 115: Moving In  
( _Draco_ )

Getting Pansy settled into the guest room isn't hard - apparently all she thought to bring with her was a single change of clothes and a knife. I've heard of packing lightly, but this is ridiculous. She honestly had no idea what she was doing when she ran away. It's a good thing she sent me that letter because I don't think she would have made it here on her own.

"The bathroom is at the end of the hall," I tell her, leading the way. (Only the master bedroom and main guest room have en suite bathrooms.) I know she's not likely to get lost walking in a straight line, but it's a long hallway and she might not be able to find her way back to her room when she's done.

She stops in the doorway and looks at me curiously.

"Are you just going to stand there while I'm in here?" she asks.

"Yes," I answer seriously.

She gives me an odd look for another moment before saying, "Why don't you just come in?"

"Because, that... wouldn't be proper..." I answer haltingly. Now that she's mentioned the possibility, I can help imagining it. We've fooled around before (mostly with each other, but sometimes with other people), but it never went much further than kissing and light touching. We've never seen each other naked, or even partially so.

Pansy smirks. "What your mother doesn't know won't hurt her."

( _Pansy_ )

He follows me into the bathroom.

I run the water and start to undress. I feel nervous getting naked in front of Draco - I've never even showed him my breasts before, even though I  _did_  let him touch them a few times when we were in fifth year - but I'm excited as well.

I look back over my shoulder at him. He's just standing there staring at me with an awestruck expression. Either I am just  _that_  beautiful, or I'm the first naked woman he's ever seen.

"Take yours off too."

He obeys, never taking his eyes off me as he does. A girl could get used to this kind of attention.

We step into the bath and sink down into the water, sitting side by side.

At first, he seems determined to keep calm, helping me wash the crusted dirt out of my hair and off my skin. Then we're out of the water and his hands are everywhere and we're kissing...

Right there on the bathroom floor, on his mother's fluffy peach-colored towel, we make love for the first time.

( _Draco_ )

We lay there for a few moments, breathing hard, our arms around each other.

Then we climb back in the bath and get washed  _again_.

And I can't help thinking that one way or another, my mother probably  _will_  find out about this...


	117. Chapter 117

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 116: Progress  
( _Bellatrix_ )

"You do realize that those two have been up there for an awfully long time, alone,  _together_... right?"

My sister gives me a strange look and says, "What?" She sounds confused, like she doesn't completely understand what I just said.

"I don't think Draco's little girlfriend is a virgin anymore..." I spell it out for her.

"Oh, that," Narcissa replies, as if it could have been anything else.

"What did you  _think_  I meant?"

It takes me a moment to realize that my sister was having a dirty little fantasy about her husband and the Dark Lord... or worse, she thought that  _I_  was having one.

"Oh, shut up!" she snaps bad-temperedly, turning her attention back to the pans on the stove.

Hardly a moment later, the Dark Lord and Lucius stride into the room. I sincerely hope they did not overhear any of our conversation.

"It seems we're finally making progress with the war," the Dark Lord announces as he's walking over to where I'm sitting. He leans down and kisses me briefly. "There is something I need to take care of personally. I'll be back in a few days."

"My lord..."

( _Voldemort_ )

Bella wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me.

"Be careful," she whispers, snuggling against me for a moment more before letting go.

It seems leaving her will be easier than I thought, but I still don't know how well she will handle being separated from me for an extended period of time. She seems to understand that the war is a higher priority than my taking care of her is, at least.

"I'll be back in a few days," I repeat, leaning down to give her one last kiss before I leave.


	118. Chapter 118

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 117: Sugar  
( _Draco_ )

Well, now we know why the evening meeting was called off. The Dark Lord isn't  _here_.

I can imagine that Aunt Bella isn't taking that too well, but I have my hands full looking after Pansy. She's still terrified of all the other Death Eaters, except for my parents. I've already told her that Aunt Bella and the Dark Lord are the only ones staying on the upper floor besides us and my parents, but it seems that only served to frighten her all the more.

Honestly, I don't know how to handle this situation. I didn't think it out farther than bringing her home safely.

I'm alone in my room, brooding, when my mother pokes her head in the door and asks me where Pansy is.

"In her room," I answer. I don't think she would have wandered off anywhere. "Why?"

"I was going to ask her to come and help me in the kitchen," Mother repsonds.

"Didn't you already make dinner earlier?" I ask, nonplussed.

"Yes." Mother sighs. "But apparently Bella is craving cake now..."

"So, you're going to bake one? Right now?"

My mother gives me a pitying look and says, "Draco, honey, you do NOT deny a pregnant woman her cravings. Your father learned that the hard way."


	119. Chapter 119

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 118: Half Life  
( _Lucius_ )

"How's your... you know?" Bellatrix asks slyly, gesturing vaguely. I assume - more from her tone of voice than anything - that she is referring to the love bite Narcissa gave me the other night.

"It itches," I reply irritably. It itches  _like hell_ , but experience has taught me not to pick at the scabs.

"Aw, poor baby," she teases, grinning. She thinks it's hilarious that her baby sister is a sadist in bed, apparently.

I change the subject. "So, cake..."

"I don't even  _know_  when the last time I had cake was," Bellatrix says, getting a faraway look on her face.

Sometime before she was arrested for torturing the Longbottoms into insanity, which makes it at least fifteen years.

"My twenty... sixth birthday, I think...?" she struggles to recall. "That's almost half my life ago."


	120. Chapter 120

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 119: Making Cake  
( _Pansy_ )

I've never cooked anything before in my life, unless you count the things I made in Potions class. I mostly just stand there and hand Mrs. Malfoy things as she asks for them.

She seems kind of annoyed about making the cake, which makes me wonder why she's making one if she doesn't want to.

"What's... the cake... for?" I ask timidly.

"It's for my sister," she answers shortly.

( _Narcissa_ )

"Is it her birthday today?" Pansy asks, sounding curious and confused.

"No."

"Tomorrow?" she prods.

 _Oh HELL_. I do NOT want to have to explain the whole situation with Bella to this child.

( _Pansy_ )

Mrs. Malfoy looks flustered as she struggles to form an answer.

"It's not a birthday cake. It's just... well, I'll let Bella explain it to you when we bring her a slice of cake later..."


	121. Chapter 121

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 120: Sweetness and Bitterness  
( _Lucius_ )

When they bring the cake, Pansy is too afraid to come into the room. Which is understandable, given Bellatrix's reputation. I'm guessing that Naricssa has explained nothing to her about our current family situation...

Watching Bellatrix eat the cake is slightly disturbing. It's as if she gets an almost sexual pleasure from it.

Narcissa refuses to eat any of the cake herself because it's fattening (although, honestly, she could gain a little more weight and it wouldn't bother me), so she sits in my lap and feeds me bites while we both try to ignore her sister.

( _Bellatrix_ )

It's almost sickening, watching my sister do the cute couple thing with her husband. She's sitting in his lap, feeding him cake and giving him little kisses between bites.

At the same time, I can't help being jealous.

He's always so sweet to her. They really love each other.

I don't know how much the man I love really cares about me, as a person and not just one of his possessions.

I'm not even sure  _I_  actually love  _him_.


	122. Chapter 122

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 121: Morning Laughter  
( _Voldemort_ )

It's the middle of the night (of the fourth day since I've been away) when I return to Malfoy Manor.

Bella doesn't wake up as I slide into bed beside her. I wrap my arm around her waist and bury my face in her hair. I knew she would have a hard time being apart from me for so long, but I didn't realize how much I would miss her...

The next thing I know, it is morning. Bella is already out of bed, leaving me curled up next to Lucius. (Apparently it was his turn to watch over her last night.)

I hear a clicking sound followed by Bella giggling.

"What...?" My throat is dry and that's as much of the question as makes it out of my mouth.

"I took a picture," Bella whispers, laughing as she lays down beside me and snuggles against my back.

I don't know why she thinks it's so funny. Or where she found a camera. Well, I suppose there was probably one laying around somewhere. Which still doesn't tell me why a picture of me and Lucius sleeping next to each other is apparently hilarious.

"It's not funny, Bella."

"Yes, it is," she manages to get out between bursts of laughter. "Narcissa has this fantasy about you and Lucius..."


	123. Chapter 123

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 122: Morning Mayhem  
( _Narcissa_ )

Pansy has proven to be a great help with the household chores, but is still entirely terrified of my sister. Which I suppose is understandable given Bella's reputation... but I thought that Draco would have explained at least  _something_  of the situation to the poor girl by now...

I've decided to let Pansy sleep late today. (Mostly because I knew Greyback would be coming off of guard duty around breakfast time, and the poor girl is enough of a nervous wreck without running into any werewolves.)

I'm almost finished making breakfast when Lucius comes into the kitchen.

"The Dark Lord is back," he informs me, yawning as he sinks into a chair. "And Bellatrix sent me down to tell you that she wants pancakes."

"Oh  _hell_. Why does she always ask for the one thing I didn't think to fix?"

"Because that's the kind of person she is?"

( _Lucius_ )

Narcissa smacks me on the shoulder and snaps, "Don't talk about my sister that way."

Oh, right. Like  _she_  wasn't just complaining about her.

At least Bellatrix seems to be in a good mood today. Honestly, I don't think she really cares what's for breakfast, I think she just wanted to get me out of the room so that she could have a few minutes alone with the Dark Lord to... um, celebrate his return...


	124. Chapter 124

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 123: Uncertainty  
( _Voldemort_ )

I was prepared to deal with Bella's clingy behavior, with her crying and begging me never to leave her again.

But she  _isn't_  acting that way. She is, surprisingly, fine.

She hasn't even told me she missed me yet. Probably because she's still laughing about her sister's fantasy.

"Bella..." I hug her close against me and nuzzle her neck. "I missed you while I was away."

Instead of responding  _I missed you too_  as I expect her to, she looks up at me and asks, in all seriousness, "Did you really?"

I was worried about her. Does that count as missing...?

( _Bellatrix_ )

"Yes, Bella, I honestly did." He sounds uncertain, as if he can't quite figure out whether he actually missed me or not.

Maybe I'm not the only one who's been questioning my own feelings and wondering if the relationship that's formed between us is even based on anything that's real.

I'm not sure I'm ready to try to talk to him about it, though. Especially since breakfast should be ready soon, and my body's sudden irrational need to consume pancakes will override all thought processes once my sister gets here with the food.

"I missed you, too," I whisper.


	125. Chapter 125

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 124: Breakfast Surprise  
( _Narcissa_ )

When we return to the master bedroom with breakfast, Bellatrix is sitting in the Dark Lord's lap and they're cuddling. It would almost be kind of cute, except for the fact that  _he's the Dark Lord_. Oh well, at least they weren't getting up to anything indecent this early in the morning.

As they start to eat, the Dark Lord gives me a strange look like he doesn't know why Lucius and I aren't eating - probably because it looks like there's enough food there for four people. But there really isn't, as he will soon find out...

He does a double take when he sees how much food Bella is consuming.

"Don't worry, it's normal," Lucius tells him quietly. "Narcissa was worse when she was pregnant with Draco, because she had all kinds of weird cravings... So far, Bellatrix hasn't asked for anything really unusual."

( _Lucius_ )

I have  _scars_  from when Narcissa was carrying Draco. When our son was born, I was so happy that he was male because it meant I didn't need to get Narcissa pregnant ever again.

I honestly don't think I could live through another one of her pregnancies.


	126. Chapter 126

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 125: Reflection of Falling  
( _Bellatrix_ )

After Lucius and Narcissa leave, the Dark Lord pulls me into his lap.

"You do feel a little heavier that I remember," he murmurs teasingly, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

He's being so sweet to me, but I just feel... off. I can't stop myself from wondering how much of this is  _real_  and how much is illusions and lies constructed out of necessity, escapism, guilt...

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asks, sounding concerned. He must have felt me tense up.

"I..."

The words die in my throat. How do I tell him that I'm not sure I actually love him?

It's not like my falling in love with him is a recent thing. It happened many years ago, not long after I first joined the Death Eaters. But now that I look back on it, I'm starting to think that maybe my falling in love with the Dark Lord was merely a coping mechanism, a form of emotional escapism that I used to distance myself from what Rod was doing to me. More than that, out of all the men that I  _could have_  fallen in love with, I think I picked my lord on purpose. He was a safe choice because our realtionship was clearly defined as master-and-servant and I knew that he could never possibly return my feelings - his hatred of all things love-related made that abundantly clear.

Of course, things are different  _now_. But I'm not entirely sure that his feelings for me are anything more than possessiveness and guilt.


	127. Chapter 127

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 126: Thwarted Plans  
( _Minerva_ )

A hand latches onto the scruff of my neck just as I'm about to leap from the second-story window down to the castle grounds.

"It's useless anyway. You won't find her."

Even before he spoke, I knew it was Severus who'd captured me. I don't know why he seems so intent on thwarting my plans.

_Perhaps because he's evil?_

I let out an angry hiss before returning to human form.

"How can you-"

"The Parkinson girl is already at Malfoy Manor," he interrupts my tirade (which was likely to be incoherent in my rage anyway). "And unless you were planning on sneaking in there and singlehandedly dragging her back here against her will, your efforts are useless." He looks at me with one eyebrow raised, as if waiting to see whether I am going to continue shouting at him. When it becomes apparent that I will not, he goes on to explain, "I received a letter from Draco today, begging for advice on the situation... It seemed intentionally vague on several topics, but the gist of it is that he doesn't know what do about Pansy now that she's there. Apparently Narcissa has taken the girl under her wing and is having Pansy help her with household chores - laundry and such - but for some reason, and this is one of the parts that were left vague, for some reason Narcissa can't keep watch over the girl most of the time..."

( _Snape_ )

I didn't mean to ramble like that. I only meant to stop her from going out on a fool's errand and possibly getting herself caught by the dark forces.


	128. Chapter 128

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 127: Blood Truth  
( _Voldemort_ )

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"I..."

She looks up at me with a pained expression and falls silent. It seems she  _isn't_  fine, after all. Judging by the way she was acting earlier, I though she was alright...

I pull her close and say softly, "I'm sorry for being away for so long. It's alright, I'm here now. Tell me what's wrong."

( _Bellatrix_ )

I can't tell him. I  _can't_.

When I don't answer, he tries again - this time with a more specific question.

"Are you worried about the baby?"

I'm not even thinking about the baby. Or, at least, I  _wasn't_  but now that he's mentioned it...

( _Voldemort_ )

She remains quiet. I've been putting off discussing certain things with her, but I suppose this is as good a time as any to clear the air, especially if this is something she's been worrying about.

"Does it bother you that the child won't be pureblood?"

"So," she says, speaking up for the first time. "What the Potter brat said that time in the Depratment of Mysteries about you being half-blood was true."

It isn't phrased as a question.

"My mother was a pureblood, a descendant of Slytherin," I explain. "But my father... wasn't."

( _Bellatrix_ )

He seems reluctant to even mention his father. I can hear a sense of resentment in the tone of his voice when the words  _my father_  trip from his mouth.

( _Voldemort_ )

"Was he a half-blood?" she asks quietly.

"No."

I hate talking about this, about  _him_ , and I am unable to keep that feeling from bleeding into my voice.

"Was he a mudblood, then?" she asks almost inaudibly, as if she is afraid to say it aloud.

"No."

( _Bellatrix_ )

He sounds angry. I cringe against him, wishing I hadn't asked.

"My father was a filthy muggle who abandoned my mother before I was born."


	129. Chapter 129

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 128: Night Talk  
( _Minerva_ )

Perhaps I've misjudged him, after all. Severus seems so distressed, so in need of a friend right now... No one on the light side trusts him anymore.

( _Snape_ )

She lays a hand on my arm and, giving me a sympathetic look, says, "Do you want to talk about it?"

 _Not really, no. But seeing as I've embarassed myself already_...

( _Minerva_ )

"We should go somewhere we won't be overheard," he says, frowning.

Somewhere in the castle where we won't be overheard by anyone? That's easier said than done. I can't even  _think_  of a place where there isn't at least one nosy portrait hanging around.

( _Snape_ )

We end up going for a walk in the castle grounds. We'll probably be seen, even if our conversation isn't overheard. Anyone who sees the two of us out walking together at this time of night will probably just assume that something romantic is going on between us...


	130. Chapter 130

\- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 129: Spilled Hearts  
( _Voldemort_ )

"So, your mother raised you on her own...?" she asks tentatively. There is an edge of fear in her voice.

I struggle to reign in my anger and answer as calmly as possible, "No. My mother died shortly after I was born. My father left her with nothing. She was living in the streets, barely able to survive. I was raised in a muggle orphanage, where I discovered my magic on my own without knowing what it was and learned at a young age to use it to my advantage..."

( _Bellatrix_ )

Well, that certainly explains a few things about how he got the way he is - especially his intense hatred for muggles.

Hearing my lord admit the truth of his blood status, I don't feel disgusted or outraged. Mostly I'm amazed that he trusts me enough to actually  _tell_  me, even though he knows I've known for years that he is a half-blood.

"She named me after him," he continues. "My mother gave me the same filthy common muggle name as my father."

Which he obviously resents...

His words are bitter, but his hands are gentle as he holds me close.

"I would never abandon you," he whispers.

"I would never forgive you if you did."

( _Voldemort_ )

She's lying.


	131. Chapter 131

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 130: A Puzzle Solved  
( _Snape_ )

I tell her everything. About the hunt for the Roths, the mysterious objects Rabastan took from the house and his strange desire to turn the Roth child over to Bellatrix...

( _Minerva_ )

"No one had even  _seen_  Bellatrix since the beginning of summer, but she showed up at the meeting that night looking like she was about to  _die_."

He sounds perplexed rather than worried, as if he does not understand how she came to be in that condition but isn't particularly concerned about whether she lives or dies.

( _Snape_ )

I go on to inform her of the peculiar event of Rodolphus Lestrange's desertion.

"It just doesn't make any  _sense_."

She grips my arm suddenly and I stop walking and turn to face her.

"Oh, Severus, don't you see? It  _does_  make sense," she says. There is a certain sadness to her voice.

( _Minerva_ )

"Melissa Roth's maiden name was Mathis," I explain. "Her mother, Sara, was a half-blood. Sara was a Slytehrin when she was in school and she dated Rodolphus Lestrange until the middle of their sixth year, when he broke up with her and began seeing Bellatrix."

( _Snape_ )

Of course. It all makes perfect sense... if Melissa was actually Rodolphus's daughter.


	132. Chapter 132

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 131: Rough  
( _Draco_ )

Pansy hesitates for a moment before telling me, "I just started my period."

I don't know how to respond to that.

"I... thought you might be worried," she continues nervously. "About me getting pregnant. After we... you know... But I'm not. So there's nothing to worry about"

Oh. Well, that makes sense. I honestly hadn't even thought about _that_ problem before she brought it up.

"Okay. That's... um, good," I reply awkwardly.

"Okay," she says, and leaves the room.

Mentally, I kick myself. _Smooth, Draco, real smooth_ , I tell myself sarcastically. _Way to be a man about this_.


	133. Chapter 133

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 132: Realization  
( _Bella_ )

I want to comfort him. I know it seems ridiculous to even think that someone like my lord would ever, for any reason, _need_ to be comforted. But talking about his past has upset him greatly, and all I want to do is to comfort him.

It is at this moment I realize that I do really, truly love him.

( _Voldemort_ )

I am seething inside, unable to shake the tormented thoughts of my past that have been dragged up from the recesses of my mind.

"I lied," Bella says softly, touching my face - breaking me out of my thoughts. "I would forgive you for leaving me... as long as you came back."


	134. Chapter 134

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 133: Noticeable  
( _Pansy_ )

"Have you noticed that Mother seems unsually moody lately?" Draco asks his father over lunch, while Mrs. Malfoy is out of the room taking a tray of food up to her sister.

"I... don't want to talk about it..." Mr. Malfoy answers in a harassed tone, scratching at his neck under his collar with one hand as he continues to eat.

Draco drops the subject, but I can tell that he still wants to talk about it. But he also doesn't want to irritate his father. I can't even imagine what kind of stress Mr. Malfoy must be under, what with the entirety of the Dark forces camped out at his house... _and_ having to take care of his insane sister-in-law on top of everything else.

"You do know there's going to be an evening meeting tonight, right, son?" Mr. Malfoy asks, effectively changing the subject. "By then, everyone will know that the Dark Lord is back."

"I figured as much," Draco replies.


	135. Chapter 135

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 134: Unbelievable  
( _Voldemort_ )

We sleep for the rest of the morning, until Narcissa arrives at lunch time with food for the two of us.

"You know how Narcissa has been really moody lately?" Bella asks suddenly, long after her sister has left the room.

I honestly haven't noticed a difference. Isn't that how she normally acts?

"I think Lucius is in denial," Bella says.

Which doesn't make any sense. I'm sure Lucius has noticed any change in Narcissa's temperment more than anyone else would have...

"What are you talking about?" I ask flatly.

"Isn't it obvious?" she says with a catty grin. "Narcissa is pregnant."

She can't be serious. This must be a bad joke.

"I'm sure she's realized it herself by now, but she's probably afraid to tell Lucius..."


	136. Chapter 136

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 135: A Serious Matter  
( _Bellatrix_ )

"This... is a bad joke, right?" my lord says in disbelief.

"I'm not kidding. The two of them have been humping like rabbits lately. I would be more surprised if she WASN'T pregnant by now."

He doesn't seem pleased to hear that. In fact, he looks as though the very idea of it makes him sick. I decide change the subject.

"Am I coming down to the meeting with you tonight, or do you want me to stay here?"

"You will stay here," he answers with a grim smile. "I think you need to have a talk with your sister..."


	137. Chapter 137

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 136: Dragon It Out  
( _Narcissa_ )

My sister is oddly quiet throughout dinner and afterward when the men leave for the evening meeting. I'm beginning to feel concerned. Whatever it is that's bothering her, she doesn't seem inclined to talk about it. So I suppose that means it's up to me to initiate this conversation.

"Is something wrong?"

"I should be asking _you_ that," Bella snaps.

What is she talking about? I try to think of anything I could have possibly done to make her angry but I come up with nothing.

"You don't have to keep secrets from me, you know..." she says leadingly, as if she expecting me confess something. What is it she wants me to say, I have no idea. I wonder what led her to believe that I'm keeping something from her.

"I'm not keeping any secrets," I tell her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh?" she says, with an almost comical expression of surprise. "You mean you don't _know_?"

"Know what?" I ask, nonplussed.

"Well..."


	138. Chapter 138

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 137: Rumors  
( _Snape_ )

As I suspected would happen, there are now all kinds of rumors floating around about my romantic entanglement with Professor McGonagall. Most people seem to actually _believe_ the rumors, despite the fact that she's old enough to be my _grandmother_.

Ironically, Gryffindor students seem to be the most skeptical about our "relationship".

Just the thought that other people actually think that we're secretly a couple is very disturbing.


	139. Chapter 139

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 138: Acting Strange  
( _Lucius_ )

"Bella was acting very strange this evening..." Narcissa tells me as we are getting ready for bed.

Bellatrix is _always_ acting strange... Not that I'm stupid enough to say that out loud.

"How so?" I ask, trying to sound interested. Even though I would really prefer not to hear about it.

"She seems to think there's something that I'm keeping secret from her, but I have no idea what it is," Narcissa says, with a confused expression on her face. "I can't figure out what she meant by that. It's really bothering me."

"Maybe she thinks you've been trusted with some kind of secret mission?" I suggest. Although I know that hasn't happened, it is possible that Bellatrix might _think_ it has.

"Maybe," Narcissa replies skeptically.

"I don't know what else it could be," I say, hoping she will let the subject drop. She still looks upset, so I quickly add, "I'll talk to her about it tomorrow, alright? Don't worry about it."


	140. Chapter 140

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 139: One Thing  
( _Bellatrix_ )

"Did you talk to your sister?" my lord asks as he slides into bed beside me.

( _Voldemort_ )

"Yes," she mumbles.

"And?" I prompt her when she fails to elaborate.

"She didn't know what I was talking about, so I didn't tell her."

Oh, yes, because THAT course of action makes perfect sense.

( _Bellatrix_ )

"Why didn't you inform her of your suspicions?" he asks.

"Because if she hasn't already realized it for herself, then she'd deny it if I said something and the whole thing would turn into a fight. So I thought it would be better to just leave it alone until she figures it out."

( _Voldemort_ )

She seems to be telling the truth so I trust that she knows her own sister well enough to know what would start a fight.

If there's one thing we don't need around here, it's Bella and her sister getting into a fight.


	141. Chapter 141

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 140: Morning Glory  
( _Greyback_ )

I hate morning guard duty.

Then again, it means I get to skip the morning meeting, which is usually boring as hell. Nothing exciting has happened at any of the meetings since that time the Dark Lord announced that he's been having an affair with that crazy bitch Bellatrix.

And since me and Alecto are on different guard shifts right now, morning guard duty is EXTRA boring...

( _Amycus_ )

I hate morning guard duty.

I keep getting put with that disgusting werewolf, who spends the whole time staring off into space - probably thinking about getting naked with my sister. The sick freak. I'd like nothing better than to kick his ass.

But that didn't work out so well the last time I tried it...


	142. Chapter 142

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 141: Just What He Feared  
( _Bellatrix_ )

This morning is different from the usual routine. Narcissa is going down to the meeting while Lucius stays to watch over me. Something must be going on.

( _Lucius_ )

"So, why are you here instead of my sister?" she asks as soon as we are alone, sounding suspicious.

I suppose she must already know that having me stay with her today instead of Narcissa was _our_ decision, not an order from the Dark Lord.

( _Bellatrix_ )

He sighs heavily and says, "Narcissa told me that you think she's keeping some secret from you, and she got very upset over it so I told her I would talk to you about it."

So, basically, he's only doing this to shut up her whining. Well, I see no reason to pussyfoot around the issue.

"I think she's pregnant," I tell him flatly.

Lucius doesn't seem surprised by this pronouncement, although I do see what looks like _despair_ shining in his eyes.

"That's what I was afraid of," he says.


	143. Chapter 143

\-- Bitter Echo --

Chapter 142: Always Missing  
( _Alecto_ )

Lucius Malfoy is absent from the meeting this morning, although Narcissa and Draco are both here. I wonder what it is exactly that the Malfoy family DOES around here, because they hardly ever get sent out on missions and at least one of them is absent from almost every meeting - usually Narcissa or Draco.

My darling Fenrir is on guard duty this morning, so it's not like I have anything to look forward to after the meeting ends, either. He'll be asleep half the day, then I'll have to go out on guard duty this evening, and we'll completely miss each other... our schedules are completely contradictory to each other's right now.


	144. Chapter 144

\- Bitter Echo -

Chapter 143: Overheard  
( _Pansy_ )

I didn't really _mean_ to eavesdrop on Draco's parents in what was clearly meant to be a private conversation - it's just that I was walking past their room and once I heard the beginning of the conversation I couldn't help listening to hear the rest...

I'm back in my own room now. I'm pretty sure they don't know that I was listening.

I can hardly believe what I just overheard.

It was kind of funny. Well, not _funny_ , exactly... Well, it did make me want to laugh, so maybe it was funny...

But I really shouldn't be laughing about something like that.

But... it _was_ funny, hearing Mrs. Malfoy shout at Mr. Malfoy like that...

I always thought HE was the scary one.


	145. Chapter 145

\- Bitter Echo -

Chapter 144: Explosion of Anger  
( _Lucius_ )

Narcissa and I are alone in our room. I am dreading even bringing up the subject, but it's something that must be done.

I steel my nerves and take a deep breath, and ask her.

( _Narcissa_ )

"Um, are you... maybe... possibly..." Lucius stammers.

I wonder what's got him so flustered. He wouldn't be this nervous if he wanted to ask me if I was horny, or something.

Oh, dear, I wonder if he's found out about Draco and Pansy...

( _Lucius_ )

She is looking at me oddly, waiting for me to finish my question.

"Are you pregnant?" I blurt out, relieved to have finally forced the inquiry out.

" _Of COURSE not!_ " she shrieks. "What in the world would give you that idea? And even if I had been, I doubt it would have survived that fall I took down the stairs not too long ago."

( _Narcissa_ )

"I didn't say I thought you were!" he says quickly. "Bellatrix thinks you are, and she told the Dark Lord..."

( _Lucius_ )

When she is finished shouting at me about how I shouldn't listen to the ridiculous things her sister says, I feel lucky to still have my eardrums intact.


	146. Chapter 146

-Bitter Echo-

Chapter 145: News Report From The Dark Side  
( _Minerva_ )

I'm waiting in the headmaster's office for Severus to get back from the Death Eater's meeting. This has become a ritual for us over the past few months.

Because of his job as headmaster, he only attends the meetings once a week. And on those days, immediately after he returns, he tends to need to vent his feelings about the goings-on of the Dark Side.

Today will be no different, it seems.

"Oh, dear _God_ ," he says as he stumbles out of the fireplace.

This sounds worse than usual.

"What happened?" I ask apprehensively.

He looks at me and says, sounding completely horrified, "Bellatrix Lestrange is pregnant with the Dark Lord's child."

I don't know why he's so shocked by that. For someone playing both sides of this thing, he doesn't seem to be able to _interpret_ the information he collects very well.

"Black," I correct him.

"What?" He looks at me with a blank expression as if he has no idea what I am referring to.

"Her last name was legally changed back to her maiden name after the divorce was processed... Don't you ever read the newspaper anymore?"


	147. Chapter 147

-Bitter Echo-

Chapter 146: Kept  
( _Bellatrix_ )

It's been a month since Narcissa informed everyone - in no uncertain terms - that she is very definitely NOT pregnant, and that we are all idiots for thinking she was. Apparently her increasing irritability was due entirely to stress.

I've been avoiding the Death Eater's meetings lately (even though my health has improved greatly since the beginning of this ordeal), since my lord recently saw fit to inform the rest of his followers that I am carrying his child.

I'm not angry about it or anything, it's just... things are very awkward between me and the rest of the Death Eaters now.

The current rumor seems to be that I'm useless because of some mysterious injury, but I am now being kept like a pet because I used to be the Dark Lord's favorite. Or some ridiculous shit like that.


	148. Chapter 148

\- Bitter Echo -

Chapter 147: The Capture  
( _Minerva_ )

When he returns from his latest sojourn to Malfoy Manor, Severus's expression is more grim than I have ever seen it before.

"They've captured Potter and Granger," he says without preamble.

"Are the children alright? Are they being tortured? Do you know what _his_ plans for them are?"

Severus holds up a hand to stop the barrage of questions.

"For now, not that I know of, and I suppose we'll all find out when he returns from his latest excursion," he answers. "What troubles me more is that Narcissa Malfoy has personally taken charge of making sure the prisoners do not escape."

"Narcissa…?"

"Yes, I fear she is a bit… shall we say _overzealous_ … in making sure that no harm comes to her sister."

I almost question this pronouncement, but then the full implication of it hits me.

"She assumes that Harry wants revenge for Sirius?"

"It's a reasonable assumption," he replies. "And probably true. Although Potter has such a hero complex that her condition would probably forestall any revenge plans, if he actually managed to encounter her."

"Would it be difficult, then? For the two to encounter each other if the children were to escape?"

"Not _difficult_ , per se. Merely unlikely. She is… very carefully kept."


	149. Chapter 149

\- Bitter Echo -

Chapter 148: Ruckus  
( _Lucius_ )

I wonder what's going on downstairs. It sounds like quite the ruckus.

For a moment I wonder if the Dark Lord has returned, but quickly reject the idea. If he had returned, he would have come to check on Bellatrix before making his presence know to the other Death Eaters.

It must be someone else returning from a mission. Whoever it is has particularly poor timing, seeing as the Dark Lord is off on his own private mission right now. (Even I have no idea what this secret mission that he doesn't trust anyone but himself to carry out is.)

I can't go and see what's going on because it is currently my turn to watch over Bellatrix, who has somehow slept through all the commotion. I suppose I'll have to get the details of it later from Narcissa or Draco.


	150. Chapter 150

\- Bitter Echo -

Chapter 149: What Happened to the Hero?

( _Bellatrix_ )

I wake to the light touch of my lord's hand on my face.

( _Voldemort_ )

It's been weeks since I last saw her. It appears that the baby has grown quite a bit during that time. Seeing her stomach swollen where she carries our unborn child, a strange feeling wells up within me.

"You look happy," she says, giving me a sleepy smile. "Your secret mission turned out well, then?"

I panic a bit, and instead of allowing her to know that my happiness has anything to do with her and our child, I say flatly, "Potter's dead."

( _Bellatrix_ )

Oh, so he took care of that before coming to see me. No wonder he's happy.

( _Voldemort_ )

"What about the mudblood girl?" she asks.

"She has been released outside the manor so that the light side can get a firsthand account of their little hero's death."


	151. Chapter 151

\- Bitter Echo -

\- Epilogue: 12 Years Later -

( _Anastasia_ )

"Welcome, students, to Introduction to the Dark Arts." Greasy old Snape drones on and on about what lessons will consist of and a bunch of other crap until the class is halfway over and almost none of us are paying attention anymore.

The caged cat on his desk is staring at me with an unsettling intensity. I roll a scrap of parchment into a ball and flick it at her. It bounces off the cat's forehead and she hisses in response.

"Miss Black!" the teacher snaps. "Just because you've already gained an extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts at home does not mean you will be excused from paying attention in my class. And do not torment my pet. She is quite irritable in her old age."


End file.
